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| Taliban Fighters Again Enter Northern Afghan City of Kunduz | Taliban Fighters Again Enter Northern Afghan City of Kunduz |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents have once again entered parts of the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, which they briefly overran last year and have kept besieged since. | |
| The coordinated attack, coming from four directions, began before dawn on Monday, according to Mahfozullah Akbari, a spokesman for the regional police zone. Fighting continued in at least three parts of the city as shops remained closed and residents tried to flee. Helicopter gunships were also seen targeting Taliban areas, some less than a mile from the governor’s compound. | The coordinated attack, coming from four directions, began before dawn on Monday, according to Mahfozullah Akbari, a spokesman for the regional police zone. Fighting continued in at least three parts of the city as shops remained closed and residents tried to flee. Helicopter gunships were also seen targeting Taliban areas, some less than a mile from the governor’s compound. |
| The Afghan Interior Ministry and the American-led NATO mission in Afghanistan played down fears that the city was on the verge of falling again. | |
| “We are aware of reports of ongoing sporadic fighting in Kunduz and are coordinating closely with our Afghan partners to assist,” said Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cleveland, a spokesman for the international coalition. He said they were not seeing evidence “to support the reports that Kunduz is under significant attack.” | |
| Civilians were again caught in the line of fire, as residents reported that both the Taliban and Afghan forces used their homes to fire on the other side. | Civilians were again caught in the line of fire, as residents reported that both the Taliban and Afghan forces used their homes to fire on the other side. |
| Sardar Murady, a resident who lives close to the highway leading to the district of Chardara, said the Taliban were using some civilian homes for fighting. | Sardar Murady, a resident who lives close to the highway leading to the district of Chardara, said the Taliban were using some civilian homes for fighting. |
| “They told us not to lock the gates to our houses,” he said. | “They told us not to lock the gates to our houses,” he said. |
| Kabir Shabaan, a resident of the Seh Darak area near the city’s southern gate, said Afghan forces asked them to leave their homes, as it was the front line. | Kabir Shabaan, a resident of the Seh Darak area near the city’s southern gate, said Afghan forces asked them to leave their homes, as it was the front line. |
| “They told us we need to turn this into a trench,” Mr. Shabaan said. | “They told us we need to turn this into a trench,” Mr. Shabaan said. |
| Almost exactly a year ago, the Taliban briefly overran Kunduz, making it the first urban center to fall to the group since the collapse of their regime in 2001. During the operation to retake the city, American planes mistakenly bombed a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, leaving at least 42 people dead. | Almost exactly a year ago, the Taliban briefly overran Kunduz, making it the first urban center to fall to the group since the collapse of their regime in 2001. During the operation to retake the city, American planes mistakenly bombed a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, leaving at least 42 people dead. |