The fall of Kunduz city to the Taliban and the week-long clashes between government security forces and the insurgents in the counter-offensive had a devastating impact on civilians who have been left without basic services, food and potable water.
More than 170 people, largely civilians, lost their lives while about 600 others injured in Taliban-led attacks and conflicts across Afghanistan in September, according to official sources.
Afghan security forces, after three days of Taliban presence in Kunduz city, launched counter- offensive late Wednesday night and recaptured the city early Thursday, officials said.
At least 23 people were wounded Thursday in a suicide car bombing in eastern Afghanistan's province of Logar, an official said.
The new Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, has not closed the option of the fragile peace talks in his first audio message the group released to the media at the weekend.
The Afghan Taliban on Thursday confirmed the death of their leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, one day after Afghan government announced his demise, the outfit said in a statement without saying when and where Omar passed away.
The death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar may divide the Taliban ranks and will cause a split among the militant group's leadership, local analysts suggested.
Following a news release of the Afghan government on death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said on Wednesday that he could not confirm the death but the administration believes the reports are "credible."
The Taliban-led militancy has intensified in northern parts of the conflict-ridden Afghanistan as fighting between insurgents and security forces has been continuing in the northern Saripul and parts of Kunduz provinces over the past two days.
A total of 125 security personnel gave up fighting and joined Taliban militants after three days of fighting in Tirgaran volley of Wardoj district, Badakhshan province with Faizabad as its capital, district governor Dawlat Mohammad Khawar said Sunday. "After three days of fierce fighting between the government forces and Taliban rebels for the control of Tirgaran volley, 125 police personnel gave up fighting and joined the Taliban Saturday night," Khawar told Xinhua.
There is now hope for peace in the war-battered Afghanistan after Mullah Mohammad Omar, the reclusive leader of the Taliban, announced his group's readiness to join the peace dialogue with the Afghan government.
Markets in conflict-ridden Afghanistan are hustling and busling nowadays as the faithful fasting Muslims are preparing to celebrate Eidul Fitr or the end of Ramadan, the Muslims'fasting month, probably falling on Friday depending on the moon.
Gun battle and rocket attacks have killed two people and injured 16 others, including six civilians, in the northern Baghlan province on Monday, police said.
Amid the ongoing militancy and counter- militancy in war-torn Afghanistan, the government forces have killed a Taliban key commander in the western Herat province on Saturday while operations for regaining the control of Dasht-e- Archi district in the northern Kunduz province have been going on Since Friday. "Hajji Wazir, the commander of Taliban militants in west Afghanistan who was in a house to chalk out terrorist plan but the security forces acting upon intelligence report raided the house early Saturday and killed him on the spot," Herat provincial police chief Abdul Majid Rozi told Xinhua.
The Afghan national security forces killed at least 120 armed insurgents and regained control of the strategically important Yamgan district in the northern Badakhshan province after days of heavy fighting, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
A Taliban shadow provincial governor was killed along 14 militants following an airstrike in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province on Sunday, an official source said.
Taliban militants have intensified activities since launching their annual spring offensive on April 24 and since then they have conducted a series of deadly attacks, mostly in the shape of suicide bombings which have claimed the lives of numerous civilians, according to security officials.
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