Afghan troops push into city of Kunduz, Taliban in retreat

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan government claimed Thursday it had retaken the northern city of Kunduz from Taliban militants who had controlled the city since Monday.

President Ashraf Ghani, appearing at a televised news conference with his defense and interior ministers, said the city was retaken in a six-hour assault with no fatalities among the government security forces. He praised the government troops, saying they "were able to foil one of the most significant operations to have taken place in Afghanistan in 14 years."

Ghani warned the "good news" from Kunduz "should not make us complacent."

"The war is ongoing," he said.

Defense Minister Masoom Stanekzai said sporadic clashes still were taking place as government forces continue to battle pockets of Taliban insurgents.

"Small guerrilla forces remain in various neighborhoods. We have to clear all the surrounding areas and open transport links so people can come and go," he said.

Interior Minister Noor-ul-Haq Ulumi defended the performance of the government in the initial fall of Kunduz. Hundreds of Taliban fighters apparently entered the city over the recent Eid holiday and lay in wait until their operation to take the city was launched early Monday morning.

"We never took our eyes off the ball," Ulumi said. "We had to protect citizens, and so the security forces retreated."

Ulumi seemed to acknowledge the Taliban had scored a significant propaganda victory and was making the government look ineffectual, saying the weakness of the government side "has always been in propaganda and marketing ourselves."

In a statement Thursday, the presidential palace said Ghani will send a team to Kunduz to investigate how the Taliban had been able to infiltrate the city. The fall of Kunduz to the Taliban on Monday marked a major setback for Afghan government forces, which have struggled to combat insurgents with limited aid from the U.S. and NATO troops.