Vice President Dostum takes charge of operations in Kunduz

The First Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum has taken charge of the operations in the northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan hours after the Taliban militants launched a coordinated attack on the strategic Kunduz city.

Gen. Dostum organized a meeting in the Command and Control Center of the Ministry of Defense on Monday evening as Taliban intensified attacks on the city, the Office of the First Vice President said in a statement.

The meeting also focused on other provinces under the Taliban threat including the southern Helmand province and Uruzgan province.

Officials in ARG Palace have also confirmed that Gen. Dostum is the Command and Control Center of the Ministry of Defense to coordinate operations with deputy chief of staff of Afghan army General Murad Ali Murad who is Kunduz province.

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Gen. Murad arrives in Kunduz amid deteriorating security situation

The Afghan National Army (ANA) deputy chief of staff Gen. Murad Ali Murad arrived in northern Kunduz province a day after the control of the strategic Khanabad district fell to Taliban forces.

Gen. Murad said he has started visit to Kunduz province to lead operations in a bid suppress the militants in this province.

He said his visit to Kunduz province follows shortly after controlling the security situation in southern Helmand province where the Taliban militants launched a coordianted attack.

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Taliban takes control of Dahana-e-Ghori in North of Afghanistan

The Taliban militants have taken control of Dahana-e-Ghori district in northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan earlier tonight.

A provincial council member speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed the fall of the district.

The government security officials have not commented regarding the report so far.

The Taliban militants launched a coordinated attack on Dahana-e-Ghori district four days ago that led to heavy clashes in the area until the control of the district was fully taken earlier tonight.

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Taliban attack key tunnel connecting Kabul with North of Afghanistan

The Taliban insurgents launched an attack on Salang tunnel pass, a key pass which connects Kabul with the northern provinces of the country.

The officials said the attack was launched by a group of around 20 Taliban insurgents who came to the area from the northern Parwan province.

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Major Taliban attack repulsed in Kunduz province

Taliban insurgents killed 2 more passengersA major Taliban attack was repulsed in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan following hours of heavy clashes between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban insurgents.

Provincial police chief Gen. Mohammad Qasim Jangal Bagh said the Taliban militants launched a coordinated attack in the early hours of Monday morning.

He said the attack was launched from four angles in Qala Zal district but the Afghan forces effectively responded to the Taliban fire.

According to Jangal Bagh, at least 6 Taliban insurgents were killed and 3 others were wounded during the gun battle.

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Taliban Used Biometric System During Kunduz Kidnapping

Taliban insurgents behind the recent mass kidnapping in Kunduz, used a government biometric system to check if bus passengers were security force members, said commander of 808 Spinzar Zone, Sher Aziz Kamawal.

The insurgents ambushed a number of busses along the Kunduz-Baghlan highway last week, and initially took 200 passengers hostage. They executed 10 on the spot and later killed another two. The majority of hostages have been released but the fate of at least eight is still unknown.

Kamawal said the released passengers were all tested by the Taliban before being freed.

“The passengers said Taliban had a machine which checked their fingerprints. Most of the passengers were not familiar with the machine but we knew it was a biometric device that could identify security force members from amongst civilians,” he told TOLOnews.

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Taliban kidnap more passengers from Kunduz highway

The Taliban militants have once again kidnapped scores of passengers from a highway in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan.

The incident took place earlier today after the Taliban insurgents stopped a vehicle from Kunduz-Takhar highway.

Provincial police spokesman Mahfuzullah Akbari said at least 47 passengers were abducted from the center of Kunduz in Malraghi village as they were on their way to Takhar province.

Earlier, a local official said at least 30 people have been taken hostage but the Taliban militants group has not commented regarding the report so far.

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Doctors Without Borders leaving Kundoz after airstrike

The charity organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has announced leaving northern Kundoz province of Afghanistan after an airstrike that hit their hospital.

Tim Shenk, a spokesman for the organization in New York said “No medical activities are possible now in the MSF hospital in Kunduz, at a time when the medical needs are immense.”

IMS in a statement released yesterday called the air strike a ‘war crime’ and demanded a transparent investigation into the incident.

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NATO special forces supporting Afghan troops in Kunduz

Amid persistent siege of the provincial capital of northern Kunduz city by the Taliban militants, the NATO special forces have been deployed in the area to support the Afghan national security forces in retaking the control of the city.

A Western military source speaking on the condition of anonymity told AFP that the forces are comprised of US, British and German troops.

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Taliban take full control of Kunduz city

The Taliban militants have taken full control of the central city of northern Kunduz province, local security officials said.

A local security official speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the Taliban militants have taken full control of the city and the security forces have fully retreated.

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