Taliban seizes half of Kunduz – residents flee in panic

Taliban insurgents seized half of Kunduz, an Afghan provincial capital, and locals fled in panic as the hardline Islamists breached, for the first time, a major city since being ousted from power in 2001. They hoisted their flag over the main square and freed prisoners from the local jail apart from setting on fire to the headquarters of the local intelligence agency.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 28 September 2015.

This incursion of the Taliban into Kunduz barely nine months after the NATO combat mission ended comes as a major psychological blow to the country`s Western-trained security forces. As admitted by the Kunduz police - half the city has fallen into the hands of Taliban insurgents. And, the local forces had yet to receive promised reinforcements from Kabul.
Incidentally, this was the Taliban’s third attempt this year to breach the city and, it coincides with the first anniversary of President Ashraf Ghani`s national unity government in power. Most of the NATO troops had left by the end of 2014 and a residual force of around 13,000 remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.
Obviously, Afghanistan is on its own and has to fend for itself.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Suicide car attack in Kabul by the Taliban kills one Briton

In a suicide car attack by the Taliban in Kabul on a British embassy vehicle, one Briton has been killed - he was one of the five who died in the attack. An Afghan national who was working for the embassy was also killed. This has been disclosed by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.
In addition, 33 others, most of them Afghan bystanders, suffered injuries when the suicide bomber rammed his explosives-packed car into the embassy’s four-wheel-drive. The injured are believed to include another Briton, a member of the security team, and five children.
According to a spokesman of the British embassy, the vehicle was not carrying British diplomats. The Taliban has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack – it has said that it "targeted foreign invading forces" and boasted that the attack has killed many foreigners.
The attack took place in eastern Kabul near the Green Village international zone and the blast had blown the roof of the 4X4 vehicle and destroyed at least four nearby cars.
The attacker was travelling in a Toyota Corolla car and has, since, been identified as an Afghan national. Reports are there of another large blast followed by gunfire in the central district of Wazir Akbar Khan – this locality is occupied by several embassies and foreign compounds. Details of fatalities are not known.
Incidentally, the majority of NATO troops positioned in Afghanistan would leave by the end of 2014 ahead of the official end of their combat role. The last of the British troops have already left in October after 13 years fighting the Taliban.
Obviously, the Afghan government would now have a difficult time to combat the threat of the Taliban and ensure, on their own, the safety of their citizens.