Taliban attack takes Afghan forces by surprise

KABUL: Afghan security forces backed by United States advisers and airstrikes fought yesterday to drive Taliban fighters out of the embattled city of Ghazni, where hundreds of people have been killed or wounded during four days of fighting.

The Taliban attack on Ghazni, a strategic centre on the main highway linking the capital here with southern Afghanistan, was a blow to President Ashraf Ghani weeks before parliamentary elections were due, and dampened hopes of a start to peace talks.

The insurgents seized control of the districts of Khawaja Omari, north of Ghazni city and Ajrestan, in the west, with officials saying dozens of security forces had either been killed or were missing.

Diplomats here said the government had admitted being taken by surprise by the attack and after 72 hours with minimal comment from the presidential palace, Ghani announced on Twitter that reinforcements would be sent to the city.

Afghan officials said US special forces units were on the ground helping to coordinate airstrikes and ground operations. American aircraft had launched two dozen air strikes since Friday.

“US advisers are assisting the Afghan forces and US airpower has delivered decisive blows to the Taliban, killing more than 140 since August 10,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Martin O’Donnell, the spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan.

The Afghan government was in control of Ghazni, he said.

Officials said Taliban fighters in residential areas knocked down walls to ease movement and make security forces’ task of targeting them harder.

“The militants know our forces will not attack civilians, so they are using young men as human shields to walk around the city and set buildings on fire,” said one official here.