Heavy fighting as Taliban attack western Afghan city

Afghan aircraft on 15 May bombed Taliban positions in the western city of Farah after the insurgents launched a major attempt to capture the provincial capital, with fearful residents seeking shelter from explosions and gunfire.

The attack – the first major assault targeting a city since the Taliban launched their annual spring offensive – began around midnight, with the militants capturing one urban district and parts of another, said local provincial council member Jamila Amini.

Amini told AFP on 15 May from inside Farah: ‘Heavy fighting continues inside the city and aircraft have just started bombarding Taliban positions.’

Afghan officials said police special forces from Kandahar and commandos from Herat had also been deployed.

Najib Danish, Afghanistan’s interior ministry spokesman, vowed: ‘(The Taliban) will fail.’ He said both Afghan and foreign air forces were taking part in the fighting.

There was no immediate confirmation from NATO’s mission in Kabul.

Mohammad Radmanish, Afghanistan’s defence ministry spokesman, said at least 10 insurgents and two Afghan security force members had been killed so far.

Radmanish said: ‘The situation is under control and will change by the end of the day.’

But inside the city residents reported clashes were continuing.

Satar Hissaini, a tribal elder in Farah, told AFP: ‘The situation is very bad.’

Hissaini added: ‘Heavy fighting is going on and Taliban are in the city but the police headquarters and NDS (the Afghan intelligence agency) have not fallen to them. NDS forces in their HQ are engaged in heavy clashes with the Taliban.’

Another provincial council member, Dadullah Qani, confirmed Hissaini’s comments, the sound of gunfire and explosions audible as he spoke to an AFP reporter by telephone.

The noise has ‘filled the city’, said one resident who gave his name as Bilal, adding that he could see smoke rising from the direction of a building housing the NDS.

At least some militants have been hiding in residential houses, making it difficult for Afghan forces to use heavy weapons, Farah Governor Abdul Basir Salangi told Ariana News, adding: ‘But still we are taking back positions one by one.’

The insurgents released a statement warning residents to stay inside their homes and ‘stay calm’. They have also been posting images on social media they claim shows them inside the city.

Many radio and television channels in the province have stopped broadcasting, fearing for their employees’ lives, according to media watchdog Nai.