Afghanistan army recaptures district held by Taliban

KUNDUZ: Afghan forces have recaptured a district that had fallen briefly to the Taliban, officials and residents said Sunday, after thousands of people fled their homes in Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunduz province.

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Khan Abad district, which is around 30 kilometres east of Kunduz city -- the provincial capital where militants last year scored their biggest ever victory -- had fallen to the Taliban after they launched a pre-dawn attack on the district centre on Saturday, according to local officials.

Several hours later Afghan special forces were deployed to the area -- a key route to Kunduz city -- to retake the district.

The district was recaptured by government forces on Saturday evening, according to Sayed Mahmood Danish, a Kunduz governor spokesman.

“Taliban are now being chased away. The threat to the city is gone. We are expanding our operations beyond the district,” Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.