Taliban Surround Afghan City Amid Counterattack As US Pullout Nears Completion

Afghanistan government flew in hundreds of commandos to Qala-i-Naw in Badghis, the first provincial capital to face an all-out assault by the Taliban since May 1.

Taliban fighters on motorbikes roamed a provincial Afghan capital Thursday after a day of heavy fighting that saw them storm the city in their most brazen assault since the United States stepped up its troop withdrawal. The government flew in hundreds of commandos to Qala-i-Naw in Badghis, the first provincial capital to face an all-out assault by the Taliban since May 1 when the insurgents launched a blistering campaign to capture new territory. With the US troop pullout "90 per cent complete", according to the Pentagon, fears are mounting that Afghan forces will be stretched without the vital air support of the US military. Residents in Qala-i-Naw had either fled the city or stayed indoors Thursday after more than 24 hours of intense fighting that saw the Afghan air force launch strikes on Taliban positions.