Afghan forces managed to fend off a major push by Taliban fighters against the northern city of Kunduz today, claiming at least 50 fighters killed and 60 wounded and declaring that the Taliban had “failed” in the offensive.
The fighting was mostly on the outskirts of Kunduz, and the Taliban captured some military and police outposts in the area around the city, not all of which were recovered by the Afghan military. This is likely sets the stage for more Taliban pushes against the city.
Indeed, when the Taliban captured Kunduz last fall, holding it for 15 days, it did so as the result of months of offensives in the area, before finally overwhelming the Afghan military’s hold on the city and expelling them.
Afghan official confidence after today’s fighting is almost certainly premature, as the Taliban has just announce its new spring offensive, and is looking to expand gains around the country. Kunduz is clearly in the crosshairs, and there is no reason to believe it’s a one-off attack.