KUNDUZ, Afghanistan: The Taliban launched an assault on Kunduz, which was the scene of intense fighting on Monday, one year after the Islamist militia briefly took over the northern Afghan city following a lightning offensive, an AFP correspondent said. KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan forces battled the Taliban in the northern city of Kunduz for the third straight day on Wednesday and American helicopters provided air support to troops on the ground in the wake of the multipronged attack on the city launched by insurgents this week. Government forces, fighting with limited NATO-force support following the end of the main international combat mission in 2014, are estimated to have control over at most two-thirds of the country. The attack came as the Taliban have stepped up operations in different parts of Afghanistan, including the strategic southern province of Helmand, where they have been threatening the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.
The Taliban launches an offensive entering the city of Kunduz which they briefly captured last year.