KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants have gained ground in the strategically important Kunduz city along the border with Tajikistan amid government forces' operations to beat back the insurgents, a local official said Sunday.
The official on the condition of anonymity said, "Taliban rebels launched a massive offensive on Kunduz city yesterday and have captured police district (PD) 1, PD 3 and PD 4 and have been attempting to overrun Balahisar area to control the road leading to the Kunduz airport."
In the meantime, Kunduz police chief Zabardast Safi in talks with Xinhua confirmed the fighting but said that the security forces would beat back the insurgents.
However, Ehasanullah Faizi, the head of Kunduz hospital told Xinhua that, "a dozen dead bodies and 60 injured civilians have been taken to hospital" since Saturday.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in contact with media claimed that the Taliban militants had captured Kunduz city including the provincial governor's office, but the claim was rejected by officials as well as locals as baseless.
According to locals, the governor's office, police headquarters and other government entities are in control of government forces.
Fighting planes, as well as military helicopters, are flying over the city.
Taliban have captured one battle tank and three more were burned in the city, an eyewitness said.
Taliban militants who have captured the Nimroz provincial capital Zaranj in the west and Shiberghan city, the capital of Jawzan province in the north over the past couple of days, have been fighting to overrun Kunduz city, the capital of northern Kunduz, its neighboring Taluqan city, the capital of Takhar and the neighboring Badakhshan provincial capital Faizabad. Enditem
