KABUL, afghanistan — In the wake of its pullout from the key northern city of Kunduz, the Taliban is setting its sights on other provincial centers, triggering fears that more cities could fall as the insurgent group makes a tactical shift by targeting urban areas as much as rural districts.
The Taliban is focusing on two provincial centers in the south, Qalat and Ghazni, according to government officials and residents in those cities. Clashes have erupted in recent days in areas surrounding Ghazni, capital of the province of the same name, and Qalat, capital of Zabul province.
In the city of Ghazni, about 75 miles southwest of Kabul, Taliban fighters launched a multi-pronged offensive early Tuesday, getting as close as three miles from the city limits before they were repelled by Afghan forces.
“Huge numbers of Taliban started attacking the city from three directions,” said Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the province’s deputy governor. “But they were pushed back by the brave Afghan forces.”
