Sunday, October 16, 2016

Fighting for Kunduz . . . Still



Fight for Kunduz. The U.S. has come to the aid of the Afghan security forces trying to re-establish security in the northern provincial capital of Kunduz. "Enablers" such as air support, air transport, ISR, and SOF advisors on the ground are making a difference in the fight against the insurgents.

The fighting has gone on for several days. Over 24,000 residents have fled the city. Water and food are seriously short. Medical assistance is scarce; with many medical personnel having been pulled out of the city. Electricity in on and off; mostly off.

Who to believe? The Afghan national government spokesmen says the situation is under control and only remnants of the Taliban were in the city. However, media reports and local government officials paint a different picture. Nearly a week after Resolute Support stated that remnants of the Taliban in Kunduz were being dispatched with the New York Times (Oct 9, 2016) says that central Kunduz is still in turmoil with Taliban fighters firmly entrenched.

Taliban Objective. The insurgents know that they will be unable to capture a provincial capital and hold it. The Taliban's intent was to make the Afghan government look bad during the Brussels Conference held last week. It worked. During the initial assaults many of the government security forces retreated - some to the airport to the southeast. Once the Afghan special operations forces arrived (with U.S. SOF advisors) the government forces went on the offensive to dislodge the Taliban from the city center and other neighborhoods.

Read more:
"US airstrikes aid Afghan forces pushing Taliban out of Kunduz"Stars and Stripes, October 9, 2016.
"Majlis Podcast: What is Happening In Kunduz, and Why Again", Radio Free Europe, October 8, 2016.
"Sleeping in Graveyards: Embattled Afghan City of Kunduz Facing Humanitarian Crisis", Radio Free Europe, October 7, 2016.
"Anger as fighting in Afghan city Kunduz forces people to flee", Reuters, October 8, 2016.
Conflict analysis: Kunduz city, Kunduz province, Cooperation for Peace and Unity, March 2009.
"Why Kunduz Fell", Small Wars Journal, October 10, 2016.


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