KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban launched a multi-pronged attack in attempts to overrun a provincial capital in Afghanistan on Friday, hiding inside people’s homes before slipping into city streets overnight and setting off daylong clashes with U.S.-backed Afghan forces trying to push them back.

At least 14 Afghan policemen were killed and 20 were wounded in the assault on Ghazni, the capital of a province with the same name, provincial police chief Farid Ahmad Mashal told The Associated Press.

The attack first began around 2 a.m. with intense gunbattles raging and fires burning in several shops in the city’s residential areas, he said. Fighting continued throughout the day and by mid-afternoon, the Taliban had set the local TV building on fire.

Taliban fighters also destroyed the telecommunications tower, located just outside the city, cutting all cellphone and landline access to Ghazni, according to Ali Akbar Kasemi, a lawmaker from the city.

Afghan troops on the ground called in airstrikes to try quash the offensive.

As evening approached, fighting focused mainly in three directions into the city, said Nasrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry. The Taliban were using people’s homes to hide in, making it difficult for security forces to flush them out.

The city was in lockdown as residents reported sporadic bursts of gunfire. Taliban fighters had hunkered down in elevated positions inside Ghazni from where they were shooting, some residents said earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear for their safety.

People were staying indoors and all shops in the city remained closed, they said. The highway from Kabul to Afghanistan’s southern provinces was also closed as it runs through Ghazni.

An Afghan military helicopter crash landed in the city during the daytime fighting, and four Afghan soldiers on board were injured, one critically, said Mohammad Radmanish, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.

The Taliban claimed they had downed the “enemy” helicopter in Ghazni but Radmanish said it was not immediately clear if the helicopter had been hit or crash landed due to other reasons.

Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said American forces and U.S. attack helicopters flew in overnight to assist Afghan troops in Ghazni.

“U.S. forces responded with close-air support and conducted one drone strike,” he said.

Later, as fighting continued throughout the day, O’Donnell said U.S. forces returned American attack helicopters and fighter jets that had been pulled out back to the area.

“It is a show of presence,” he said.

The brazen assault by the Taliban, who have been gaining more ground in their annual spring offensive and who have shrugged off the government’s latest offers of a cease-fire and negotiations, underscore the difficulties Afghan forces face in battling the relentless insurgency on their own in efforts to end the nearly 17-year war.

The blitz assault on Ghazni forced Afghan forces to conduct house-to-house searches, looking for Taliban fighters, which was slowing the operation down. An investigation was also underway to determine how the insurgents had managed to infiltrate so deep into the city, barely 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Baz Mohammad Hemat, the administrator of the Ghazni city hospital, said two wounded civilians were also brought in to the hospital. He was worried more wounded could be out there as the city was shut down and ambulances were not being sent out.

Mashal, the police chief, said there were more than 100 other casualties but he could not give a breakdown of the dead and wounded. Most of the casualties were Taliban, he said, and many of their bodies remained on the streets.

In one location, bodies of 39 Taliban fighters were recovered from under a bridge on the southern edge of the city, he said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that parts of Ghazni had been seized and that Taliban fighters had killed scores of people. He also told the AP over the phone that Taliban anti-aircraft fire downed the Afghan army helicopter.

In Kabul, shopkeeper Azizullah, who goes only by one name like many Afghan men, said he was frantic with worry for his family in Ghazni after not hearing from them for the past three hours.

“I am so worried what the night will bring and what is going to happen to the city if the Taliban capture it,” he said.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a Taliban attack Thursday night in western Herat province left six policemen dead in the district of Obe, said the governor’s spokesman there, Gelani Farhad.

Mujahid did not comment on the Herat attack.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country since NATO and the United States formally ended their combat mission in 2014, and have seized control of several districts. U.S. and NATO forces remain in Afghanistan mainly in a supporting and training role.

Separately from the Taliban, an Islamic State affiliate has also carried out dozens of deadly attacks in recent years, mainly targeting security forces and minority Shiites.

Associated Press writers Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.</s>KABUL: Both Taliban and government forces claimed they were in control of the eastern Afghan city of Ghazni Saturday (Aug 11), after insurgents stormed the provincial capital, triggering fierce fighting.

Afghan officials said they were in control of Ghazni late Friday with authorities in Kabul saying security forces were conducting a clearance operation targeting Taliban fighters who had taken up positions in residential homes.

But information about who controlled the city was difficult to confirm with power and mobile services cut to the area after the Taliban destroyed a telecommunications tower, according to Ghazni MP Shah Gul Rezaye.

"The central government in Kabul said the situation in Ghazni was under their control, but we managed to contact officials in Ghazni who said that fighting was underway in areas surrounding Ghazni," said the parliamentarian.

Rezaye said additional reinforcements had been rushed to Ghazni late Friday, after US forces deployed attack helicopters and launched at least one drone strike to push back the Taliban fighters.

The Taliban, however, claimed victory saying their fighters were now in control of Ghazni after routing Afghan forces.

"Last night, our mujahideen have completely conquered a battalion in Ghazni, seizing weapons and ammunition and four pickup trucks," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a message to journalists Saturday.

"Our mujahideen are protecting the city of Ghazni."

The insurgents frequently exaggerate their battlefield gains and downplay losses incurred during clashes.

Ghazni - less than two hours by road from Kabul - has been under increasing danger from massing Taliban fighters for months with reports suggesting insurgents had already infiltrated the city.

The attack, which began late Thursday, was the latest attempt by the Taliban to seize an urban centre and comes as pressure mounts on the insurgents to enter peace talks with the government to end the nearly 17-year-old war.</s>Kabul: Both Taliban and government forces claimed they were in control of the eastern Afghan city of Ghazni today, after insurgents stormed the provincial capital, triggering fierce fighting.

Afghan officials said they were in control of Ghazni late yesterday with authorities in Kabul saying security forces were conducting a clearance operation targeting Taliban fighters who had taken up positions in residential homes.

But information about who controlled the city was difficult to confirm with power and mobile services cut to the area after the Taliban destroyed a telecommunications tower, according to Ghazni MP Shah Gul Rezaye.

“The central government in Kabul said the situation in Ghazni was under their control, but we managed to contact officials in Ghazni who said that fighting was underway in areas surrounding Ghazni,” said the parliamentarian.

Rezaye said additional reinforcements had been rushed to Ghazni late yesterday, after US forces deployed attack helicopters and launched at least one drone strike to push back the Taliban fighters.

The Taliban, however, claimed victory saying their fighters were now in control of Ghazni after routing Afghan forces.

“Last night, our mujahideen have completely conquered a battalion in Ghazni, seizing weapons and ammunition and four pickup trucks,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a message to journalists today.

“Our mujahideen are protecting the city of Ghazni.” The insurgents frequently exaggerate their battlefield gains and downplay losses incurred during clashes.

Ghazni — less than two hours by road from Kabul — has been under increasing danger from massing Taliban fighters for months with reports suggesting insurgents had already infiltrated the city.

The attack, which began late Thursday, was the latest attempt by the Taliban to seize an urban centre and comes as pressure mounts on the insurgents to enter peace talks with the government to end the nearly 17-year-old war. (PTI)</s>Taliban insurgent forces launched a fierce pre-dawn attack Friday on the eastern Afghan provincial capital of Ghazni, overrunning government buildings amid heavy fighting before being driven out by U.S.-backed Afghan forces, officials said Friday.

The surprise ground assault was reminiscent of previous concerted Taliban efforts to capture other provincial capitals including Kunduz in the north, Farah in the west and Lashkargah in the south. The attack on Ghazni, the first major urban assault since May, came as Afghan and U.S. officials have been urging the Taliban to begin peace talks and agree to a second cease-fire after a successful three-day truce in June.

Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said that the insurgents had attacked “multiple government centers” in Ghazni, a populous city about 100 miles south of Kabul on a major national highway, but that they were driven back. Most of the fighting was over by about 8 a.m.

U.S. attack helicopters aided Afghan forces and there was a drone strike, he added.

A spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, said that by midday Afghan forces were in full control of the city.

[The Taliban has built a parallel state in many parts of Afghanistan]

There were conflicting reports from residents and local officials, however, with some reporting that Taliban fighters were still roaming parts of the city and that gunfire continued throughout the day, while frightened residents hid in their homes.

Local officials said several hundred Taliban forces had attacked the sleeping city, seized official buildings, burned police posts and announced victory from mosque loud speakers.

There were also conflicting reports of casualties from government and Taliban officials. Afghan officials said only one of its fighters was confirmed killed, but a Taliban spokesman said 140 enemy forces were dead. The Taliban often exaggerate such figures.

Hameedullah Nawroz, a member of the Ghazni provincial council, said Friday that while Afghan forces had pushed most insurgents out, some were still hiding inside homes and buildings in the city and shooting at local forces.

Khodad Urfani, a local member of parliament, said the city had been “on the verge of total collapse” before the Taliban were repelled.

Mohammad Rahim Hassanyar, a senator from Ghazni, said the operation to expel all Taliban fighters was “very slow.” Speaking by from the city in the early afternoon, he said the government had so far failed to send reinforcements, and that if none arrived by nightfall, the city would fall. He said no army troops had arrived and that only police were defending the city.

After Taliban assault in western Afghanistan, allegations of an Iranian role

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>GHAZNI, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Heavily armed Taliban fighters attacked the strategic central Afghan city of Ghazni on Friday, burning police checkpoints and seizing control of parts of the center before being driven back by U.S.-backed forces, officials said.

U.S. attack helicopters and drone aircraft provided government forces with air support. But with Taliban fighters believed to be hiding in residential areas, it was unclear whether the government had full control of the city.

The attack on a city straddling the main highway between the capital Kabul and southern Afghanistan was a show of strength for the Taliban, underscoring how volatile the security situation remains less than three months before parliamentary elections in October.

The defense ministry in Kabul said the attackers had been beaten back but were still present in one area of the city and had occupied civilian houses, from where they were still keeping up occasional fire on security forces clearing the area.

It said around 150 attackers had been killed or wounded but gave no estimate of casualties for civilians or security forces. A local health official said at least 16 people had been killed.

A statement from U.S. military headquarters in Kabul said fighting had ceased by 8.00 a.m. (0330 GMT) and Afghan forces had held their ground and maintained control of all government centers.

“U.S. forces responded with close-air support (U.S. attack helicopters) and conducted one strike (drone). In addition, U.S. aircraft conducted a show of presence,” Lt Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in an emailed statement.

Officials said clashes between security forces and the Taliban started at around 2.00 a.m., forcing the closure of the main highway linking Ghazni to Kabul, 150 km (95 miles) to the northeast.

“The Taliban are dropping missiles near residential and commercial areas. There has not been a single minute of silence for the last eight hours,” said a senior government official in Ghazni early in the day.

Ghazni police chief General Farid Ahmad Mashal said the Taliban seized several parts of the city, which has been under threat for months with heavy fighting in surrounding districts.

As helicopters circled overhead in the early morning, a second government official said it was too dangerous for people to leave their homes.

“It is not possible to get out of our homes to help the injured or collect bodies,” he said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement saying multiple attacks were launched overnight in Ghazni. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and police had been killed and large quantities of weapons and equipment had been seized, he said.

However, O’Donnell said initial reports indicated minimal casualties among security forces.

“This is yet another failed Taliban attempt to seize terrain, which will result in yet another eye-catching but strategically inconsequential headline,” he said.

The attack came amid growing hopes of talks to end 17 years of war in Afghanistan and less than two weeks before the Eid al-Adha festival, when the Western-backed government in Kabul had been considering offering a ceasefire.

In June, a three-day truce over the Eid al-Fitr holiday brought unprecedented scenes of unarmed Taliban fighters mingling with security forces in Kabul and other cities, offering a glimpse of peace and fuelling hopes of negotiations to end the war.

However, even while conducting preliminary discussions with U.S. officials, the Taliban have launched a series of operations that underscored their ability to inflict severe damage on Afghan forces.

Just last week, an attack on an army post in Uruzgan, a province bordering Ghazni, killed dozens of soldiers, adding to what one U.S. report called the “shockingly high” casualties taken ever since NATO ended its main combat mission in 2014.

The Taliban have so far failed to take and hold any provincial center since they overran the northern city of Kunduz in 2015 before being driven off with the support of U.S. air strikes and Special Forces units.

They came close to repeating the feat in 2016, and in May this year they nearly overran the western city of Farah before being beaten back with the aid of U.S. forces.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban fighters tried to overrun a provincial capital in Afghanistan early on Friday, hiding inside homes before slipping into city streets in the night to attack security forces and killing at least 14 policemen before being pushed back, officials said.

The overnight attack in the southeastern city of Ghazni, the capital of a province with the same name, also wounded at least 20 members of the security forces, said Baz Mohammad Hemat, the administrator of the Ghazni city hospital.

Another Taliban attack, this one on Thursday night in western Herat province, left six policemen dead in the district of Obe, according to the governor's spokesman, Gelani Farhad.

The brazen assaults by the Taliban, who have been gaining more ground in their annual spring offensive and who have shrugged off the government's latest offers of a cease-fire and negotiations, underscore the difficulties Afghan forces face in battling the relentless insurgency on their own in efforts to end the nearly 17-year war.

In Ghazni, the attack began around 2 a.m. with intense gunbattles raging and fires burning in several shops in the city's residential areas, provincial police chief Farid Ahmad Mashal told The Associated Press.

After repulsing the daring assault, police conducted house-to-house searches for any remaining Taliban fighters. An investigation as also underway on how the insurgents had managed to infiltrate so deep into the city, barely 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Hemat, the hospital administrator, said two wounded civilians were also brought to the hospital but that the city was shut down and that ambulances were not being sent out.

Mashal said there were more than 100 other casualties but he could not give a breakdown of the dead and wounded. Most of the casualties were Taliban, he said.

Several bodies of dead Taliban fighters remained on the street after government forced pushed the insurgents from Ghazni, the police chief said. Bodies of 39 Taliban fighters were recovered from beneath a bridge in the southern edge of the city.

Airstrikes called in to quash the offensive also killed dozens of Taliban, Mashal said. Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said the army had helped the police and that the city was brought under control of government forces.

Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said American forces and U.S. attack helicopters assisted Afghan troops in pushing back the Taliban during the night's multiple attacks in Ghazni.

"U.S. forces responded with close-air support and conducted one drone strike," O'Donnell said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed parts of Ghazni had been seized and scores of people killed.

After dawn Friday, Ghazni's residents were staying indoors and all shops in the city remained closed. The road from Kabul to Afghanistan's southern provinces was also closed because it runs through Ghazni.

By mid-morning, sporadic gunfire could still be heard in city, some residents said. There were still Taliban fighters who had hunkered down in elevated positions from which they were still shooting, the residents said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear for their safety.

The Taliban have so far not confirmed being behind the earlier attack in Herat in which at least six policemen were killed at a district checkpoint.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country since NATO and the United States formally ended their combat mission in 2014, and have seized control of several districts. U.S. and NATO forces remain in Afghanistan mainly in a supporting and training role.

An Islamic State affiliate has carried out dozens of deadly attacks in recent years, mainly targeting security forces and minority Shiites.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>KABUL (Reuters) - Fighting continued around the Afghan city of Ghazni just south of Kabul on Saturday, a day after Taliban fighters stormed its center in a stark show of force, with at least 25 police and one journalist killed, officials said.

Defense ministry officials said Ghazni was under complete control of the security forces but at the same time said clearance operations were continuing and additional troops were being sent to boost the city’s defense.

“Afghan National Army reinforcements are making their way to Ghazni city to help the Afghan National Police search and clear the city of insurgents that may still be hiding in the city,” said Major Mohammad Farooq, Afghan army 203rd Corps spokesman.

A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said both sides were fighting to control commercial centers and arterial roads around the city, which sits on the main highway linking the capital Kabul with the south of the country.

There was little clear information on casualties, but Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said that 25 policemen had been killed, along with one Afghan journalist, whom he did not identify.

Friday’s attack on Ghazni came as a shock after hopes had grown of a possible start to peace talks with the Taliban, although the city has been under pressure for months with insurgents increasingly active in nearby districts.

The government had been considering a ceasefire over this month’s Eid al Adha holiday to match a similar truce during the Eid al Fitr holiday in June which saw unarmed Taliban fighters mingling with soldiers on the streets of Kabul and other cities.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post that the group had captured Ghazni’s main prison and freed many inmates, but Afghan officials could not immediately confirm or reject the statement.

Many telecoms masts were destroyed during heavy fighting on Friday, and contact with the city has been difficult to establish.

“The city was relatively quiet last evening and people were observed moving freely on the streets,” Lt Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in an emailed statement. “That said, clearing operations are ongoing and we have received reports of sporadic clashes.”

He did not say whether U.S. aircraft had conducted any strikes against the Taliban.

Taliban insurgents launched a large-scale attack on Friday, seizing several government buildings and parts of the city center before being pushed back by Afghan forces backed by U.S. aircraft.

The attack followed a similar assault on the western city of Farah in May, when the Taliban came close to taking a major city for the first time since they overran the northern city of Kunduz in 2015 and nearly repeated the feat a year later.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan forces were still battling the Taliban in parts of Ghazni on Saturday, a day after the insurgents launched a multi-pronged assault on the eastern city.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said at least 25 security forces have been killed and wounded since the assault began early Friday, and that a local reporter was killed. It was unclear how many other civilians had been killed or wounded during the attack. Danish said more than 150 insurgents have been killed or wounded.

He said that although the fighting was still underway, “the situation is under control and there isn’t any serious threat.”

“Any threat which could cause the fall of the city has been eliminated,” he added.

The Taliban claim to have seized parts of the city and to have killed local officials. In a media statement, the group said it had seized dozens of armored vehicles as well as light and heavy weapons and ammunition. They said they “liberated” the central prison in Ghazni and freed all Taliban prisoners.

It was not possible to verify the claims because the Taliban destroyed a nearby communications tower, cutting off cellphone and landline access to the city. The insurgents also set fire to the local TV headquarters, making it difficult to broadcast images from Ghazni.

The city of about 140,000 people was in lockdown for the second day as residents stayed indoors and reported sporadic gunfire. The highway from Kabul to Afghanistan’s southern provinces, which runs through Ghazni, is still closed.

Ghazni is a gateway city linking the heavily Taliban-influenced south and east of Afghanistan to Kabul and is one of the last vestiges of government control in the province of the same name. The Taliban holds sway in most of the province where ethnic Pashtuns live, while the government’s influence is limited to Ghazni and small pockets dominated by ethnic Hazaras.

In northern Baghlan province, meanwhile, Taliban attacked police and army checkpoints, killing 13 police and soldiers, officials said.

Gen. Ekramuddin Serih, provincial police chief, said six policemen were killed and two police officers were wounded in the gun battle Friday night in Baghlani Kohna district. At least 10 insurgents were killed and four other were wounded, he said.

Seven soldiers were killed and two other troops were taken alive by the insurgents, according to a provincial official from Baghlan governor’s office who was not authorized to speak with media about casualties.

“Taliban were not able to overrun the checkpoints and were defeated by the (security) forces,” said Serih.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks across the country since NATO and the United States formally ended their combat mission in 2014. U.S. and NATO forces remain in Afghanistan mainly in a supporting and training role in the 17-year-old war.</s>KABUL (Reuters) - Fighting continued around the Afghan city of Ghazni just south of Kabul on Saturday, a day after Taliban fighters stormed its centre in a stark show of force, with at least 25 police and one journalist killed, officials said.

Defence ministry officials said Ghazni was under complete control of the security forces but at the same time said clearance operations were continuing and additional troops were being sent to boost the city’s defence.

“Afghan National Army reinforcements are making their way to Ghazni city to help the Afghan National Police search and clear the city of insurgents that may still be hiding in the city,” said Major Mohammad Farooq, Afghan army 203rd Corps spokesman.

A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said both sides were fighting to control commercial centres and arterial roads around the city, which sits on the main highway linking the capital Kabul with the south of the country.

There was little clear information on casualties, but Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said that 25 policemen had been killed, along with one Afghan journalist, whom he did not identify.

Friday’s attack on Ghazni came as a shock after hopes had grown of a possible start to peace talks with the Taliban, although the city has been under pressure for months with insurgents increasingly active in nearby districts.

The government had been considering a ceasefire over this month’s Eid al Adha holiday to match a similar truce during the Eid al Fitr holiday in June which saw unarmed Taliban fighters mingling with soldiers on the streets of Kabul and other cities.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post that the group had captured Ghazni’s main prison and freed many inmates, but Afghan officials could not immediately confirm or reject the statement.

Many telecoms masts were destroyed during heavy fighting on Friday, and contact with the city has been difficult to establish.

“The city was relatively quiet last evening and people were observed moving freely on the streets,” Lt Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, said in an emailed statement. “That said, clearing operations are ongoing and we have received reports of sporadic clashes.”

He did not say whether U.S. aircraft had conducted any strikes against the Taliban.

Taliban insurgents launched a large-scale attack on Friday, seizing several government buildings and parts of the city centre before being pushed back by Afghan forces backed by U.S. aircraft.

The attack followed a similar assault on the western city of Farah in May, when the Taliban came close to taking a major city for the first time since they overran the northern city of Kunduz in 2015 and nearly repeated the feat a year later.</s>GHAZNI: Heavily armed Taliban fighters attacked the strategic central Afghan city of Ghazni on Friday, burning police checkpoints and seizing control of parts of the centre before being driven back by US-backed forces, officials said.

 US attack helicopters and drone aircraft provided government forces with air support.

 But with Taliban fighters believed to be hiding in residential areas, it was unclear whether the government had full control of the city.

 The attack on a city straddling the main highway between the capital Kabul and southern Afghanistan was a show of strength for the Taliban, underscoring how volatile the security situation remains less than three months before parliamentary elections in October.

 The defence ministry in Kabul said the attackers had been beaten back but were still present in one area of the city and had occupied civilian houses, from where they were still keeping up occasional fire on security forces clearing the area.

 It said around 150 attackers had been killed or wounded but gave no estimate of casualties for civilians or security forces.

 A local health official said at least 16 people had been killed. A statement from US military headquarters in Kabul said fighting had ceased and Afghan forces had held their ground and maintained control of all government centres.

 “US forces responded with close-air support (US attack helicopters) and conducted one strike (drone). In addition, US aircraft conducted a show of presence,” Lt Col Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said in an e-mailed statement.

 Officials said clashes between security forces and the Taliban started at around 2 am, forcing the closure of the main highway linking Ghazni to Kabul, 150 km to the northeast.

 “The Taliban are dropping missiles near residential and commercial areas. There has not been a single minute of silence for the last eight hours,” said a senior government official in Ghazni early in the day.

 Ghazni police chief General Farid Ahmad Mashal said the Taliban seized several parts of the city, which has been under threat for months with heavy fighting in surrounding districts. As helicopters circled overhead in the early morning, a second government official said it was too dangerous for people to leave their homes.

 “It is not possible to get out of our homes to help the injured or collect bodies,” he said.

 Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement saying multiple attacks were launched overnight in Ghazni. Dozens of Afghan soldiers and police had been killed and large quantities of weapons and equipment had been seized, he said.

 However, O’Donnell said initial reports indicated minimal casualties among security forces.

 “This is yet another failed Taliban attempt to seize terrain, which will result in yet another eye-catching but strategically inconsequential headline,” he said.

 The attack came amid growing hopes of talks to end 17 years of war in Afghanistan and less than two weeks before the Eid al Adha, when the Western-backed government in Kabul had been considering offering a ceasefire.

 In June, a three-day truce over the Eid al Fitr holiday brought unprecedented scenes of unarmed Taliban fighters mingling with security forces in Kabul and other cities, offering a glimpse of peace and fuelling hopes of negotiations to end the war.

 However, even while conducting preliminary discussions with US officials, the Taliban have launched a series of operations that underscored their ability to inflict severe damage on Afghan forces. — Reuters
A large-scale military offensive is launched by the Taliban in a bid to overrun the southeastern city of Ghazni, a provincial capital on the Kabul–Kandahar Highway. They manage to take control of a part of the city.