[Al Jazeera] At least 100 Taliban fighters have attacked a district in Afghanistan's heavily embattled northern Kunduz province in a bid to take control of yet another district, officials said. "Fortunately, our security forces have been able to push the Taliban back," Mahbubullah Saeedi, the district governor for Qalai Zal, where fighting is continuing, said on Monday.
Saeedi's optimism however was contradicted by Amruddin Wali, a provincial council member, who claims the "militant group is controlling large parts of the centre save for the district and police buildings."
Wali put the number of Taliban attackers at around 500.
Saeedi said that eight Taliban - including a commander - were killed, while one Afghan security force member was dead and three others maimed.
Saeedi said most civilians living in the city have fled to more secure areas.
Kunduz is one of the most volatile provinces in the north. The capital of the province fell to the Taliban briefly last year, and most districts have a heavy Taliban presence.