Kabul sends in commandos as Taliban surround Afghan city
Published On
Afghan commandos battled the Taliban for control of a provincial capital Thursday.
HERAT (AFP) - Afghan commandos battled the Taliban for control of a provincial capital Thursday as the president insisted they had the capacity to defeat the insurgents even with a complete US troop withdrawal likely just days away.
Plumes of smoke billowed over Qala-i-Naw as fighting raged for a second straight day in the capital of Badghis province, with residents either fleeing the city or barricading themselves in their homes.
With the US pullout "90 percent complete" according to the Pentagon, the insurgents have launched a blistering campaign to capture new territory, and fears are mounting that Afghan forces will collapse without vital American air support.