STR
Afghan officials said government forces had recaptured key areas of Kunduz on Thursday while the Taliban insisted it still remains in control of large parts of the city, according to local reports. Afghan forces regained control of government landmarks in an overnight operation, just days after militants stormed the city and seized control of one of Afghanistan’s largest cities. Provincial police spokesman Sayed Sarwar Hussaini told The Wall Street Journal the city center had been cleared of militants but security forces continued to fight insurgents on the outskirts. “The city is completely under Afghan forces’ control,” Hussaini said. But Kareema Sediqi, a member of the Kunduz provincial council, told The New York Times the city is “still in Taliban control” despite government reports. According to the NYT, Afghan forces had advanced as far as a roundabout near the city’s entrances. Several reports indicated clashes continued into Thursday.