165 Killed in Five Days of Fighting in Northern Afghanistan

Interior Ministry Claims 140 of the Slain Were Taliban

Heavy fighting continues in the northern Afghanistan province of Kunduz, with Afghan officials claiming they had defeated the Taliban earlier today, but the US announcing warplanes are being deployed as the fighting endures.

The Afghan Interior Ministry claims 165 have been killed in fighting since Friday, and that 140 of the slain were Taliban, along with 20 Afghan troops and five civilians. Thousands of families were displaced.

As usual, the casualty splits are almost certain to be a matter of dispute, as both sides regularly claim to have dramatically out-killed the other in these multi-day skirmishes.

The Taliban attacked Kunduz Province on Friday, saying it marked the start of their spring offensive, and moved against the provincial capital late Monday. Though the city seems to still be in Afghan government control, the push seems likely to continue for some time.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.