KABUL: Taliban fighters captured parts of Kunduz, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities, in a complex attack in the early hours of Saturday, even as the militant group and US negotiators seemed days away from a breakthrough in peace talks.
US negotiators have repeatedly pressed the Taliban to agree to hold talks with the foreign-backed Kabul government and to a cease-fire, but the militant group has said that will not happen until a timetable for the departure of US-led troops is set.
According to media reports, the Taliban, which demand the expulsion of all foreign forces from Afghanistan, hold sway over nearly half of the country, with the group at its strongest since its 2001 defeat by a US-led invasion. 
Under cover of darkness at approximately 2 am, the Taliban first stormed the posts of security forces in the city’s outskirts, Ghulam Rabbani, a member of the provincial council of Kunduz told Arab News by telephone.
“There is heavy fighting going on, the city is deserted, almost, except for some small shops in some alleys,” he said.
Helicopter gunships had fired into some areas while jet fighters, apparently belonging to US-led NATO forces, hovered in the sky without dropping ammunition, Rabbani said.
There was no electricity and barely any mobile services available in the city, according to residents.
Over the past four years, the Taliban have twice managed to seize large parts of Kunduz’s surrounding city areas before being driven off after days of fighting with Afghan forces and air strikes by the US. Despite ending their combat role in 2014, some 20,000 US and NATO forces still remain in Afghanistan.
The latest Taliban attack on Kunduz comes amid a series of military gains made by the group in recent weeks in various parts of the country.
On Friday, the Taliban overran areas in adjacent Takhar and last week seized one district in Badakhshan as well as territory in Faryab province- far from the militants’ traditional power-bases in the south and east.
The wave of Taliban attacks in recent days will put more strain on Ghani who is standing for re-election in late September.
“The attack on Kunduz is related to upcoming elections, talks and specially the last phase of talks,” Zabihullah Pakteen, an analyst told Arab News. 
“It’s quiet possible to pressurise Ghani for concessions that could even lead to postponing the election and paving the way for an interim government,” he said.
In a Twitter post, Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid asked Afghan soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender.
“Kabul administration troopers should not kill themselves at the hands of Mujahidin, rather calmly lay down your weapons & safeguard your lives,” he said.
The Taliban claim to have killed dozens of government troops since the assault began, and released a video showing a group of armed men dressed in military uniform, surrendering to Taliban fighters after walking through what appears to be a government building.
General Attiqullah Amarkhail (retd.) of the Afghan army, said the Taliban attacks in Kunduz showed an intelligence failure in Ghani’s shaky, divided government which has been left out of negotiations between the Taliban and US since talks began last summer in Qatar, and with Afghan presidential elections set for the end of September.
“It is a blow from many aspects, politically and militarily. It is the third time the Taliban gain ground in Kunduz and the government forces are not learning from their past mistakes,” Amarkhail told Arab News.
“While talks are nearing a final deal in Qatar, the Taliban stage an attack on Kunduz in order to show their strength and further describe the Kabul government as incompetent,” he said. 
In a press conference after the attack, Sediq Seddiqi, Ghani’s chief spokesman said, “The defense and security forces have preparedness to foil the Taliban attack on Kunduz city…the Taliban will face defeat like the past times.”
The Taliban demand a total expulsion of US-led soldiers from the country where American forces and their NATO allies have fought the Taliban for 18 years. 
But President Trump told Fox News Radio on Thursday that there would be only an initial reduction in troops, amid fears that a complete troop withdrawal could see Afghanistan plunged into a new round of civil war that could herald the return of Taliban rule and international militancy launched from Afghan soil.