Taliban-Frühjahrsoffensive: Schwerpunkt Kundus? (mit Updates)

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Auch wenn die aktuellen Nachrichten ein wenig bruchstückhaft sind: Die von den Taliban angekündigte Frühjahrsoffensive in Afghanistan scheint sich derzeit im Schwerpunkt rund um Kundus im Norden des Landes abzuspielen. Nach der gestrigen Zusammenfassung in der New York Times: Afghan Troops Rush to Kunduz Amid Taliban Assault einige aktuelle Meldungen vom (heutigen) Mittwoch:

Reuters: U.S. military sends jets to northern Afghan city under siege The U.S. military has sent fighter jets to Afghanistan’s northern province of Kunduz, where Taliban insurgents have launched a major offensive and overrun government checkpoints close to the main city, U.S. and Afghan sources said. The US military declined to say why the jets had been dispatched to the area, but confirmed they were on a mission outside regular operations. „We can confirm there were U.S. jet aircraft flying in the Kunduz area in the past 72 hours, no munitions dropped,“ a U.S. military spokesman said, but declined to comment further.

Einige in Deutschland nur zu bekannte Ortsnamen wie Nawabad tauchen immer wieder auf:

… auch wenn nach offiziellen afghanischen Angaben der Schwerpunkt eben nicht in Kundus liegt:

Nachtrag: Das afghanische Verteidigungsministerium sagt, die Lage sei unter Kontrolle, berichtet der Sender TOLO News:

Following a five-day battle in Kunduz province, the Afghan Defense Ministry (MoD) on Wednesday eased fears and assured the nation that neither Kunduz nor any other province in the country was on the verge of collapse.
Dawlat Waziri, deputy spokesman for the MoD said in Kabul at a press conference that the Afghan security forces were more than capable of controlling the Kunduz situation and that they were strong enough to face the insurgents.
„No district or province will collapse and I assure you that security forces are capable enough to control the situation,“ Waziri said.

Nachtrag 2: Aus der New York Times:

U.S. Attacks in Afghanistan Go Beyond White House’s Pledges
Months after President Obama formally declared that the United States’ long war against the Taliban was over in Afghanistan, the American military is regularly conducting airstrikes against low-level insurgent forces and sending Special Operations troops directly into harm’s way under the guise of “training and advising.” (…)
Rather than ending the American war in Afghanistan, the military is using its wide latitude to instead transform it into a continuing campaign of airstrikes — mostly drone missions — and Special Operations raids that have in practice stretched or broken the parameters publicly described by the White House.
Western and military officials said that American and NATO forces conducted 52 airstrikes in March, months after the official end of the combat mission. Many of these air assaults, which totaled 128 in the first three months of this year, targeted low- to midlevel Taliban commanders in the most remote reaches of Afghanistan.

Und die Russen sind besorgt, meldet TOLO News:

Russian Ambassador to Kabul Alexander Mantytsky said on Wednesday that his government’s concern for security conditions in Afghanistan has grown in recent weeks, pointing to heightened militant activity in northern parts from the country as well as the abundant presence of Central Asian insurgents, such as the Uzbekistan Islamic Movement, Eastern Turkistan Fighters and fighters from Chechnya.
As a regional threat, the Russian Ambassador emphasized the importance of cooperation between Moscow and Kabul, along with other regional nations, in stemming the tide of militant extremism. However, Ambassador Matytsky also challenged the United States to live up to its commitments to Afghanistan and provide the support the country needs.
„We are concerned over the security situation in your country, especially in Badakhshan and Kunduz provinces,“ the ambassador said on Wednesday.

Nachtrag 3: Die Deutsche Welle hat einen Reporter in Kundus:

Battle for Kunduz: ‚German forces left too early‘
(…) The current security situation in Kunduz is extremely worrying. In many districts, the fighting continues to rage and is getting worse. Loud explosions and gunshots can be heard in the city. The Afghan forces have killed many insurgents, including a number of foreign fighters. (…)
Most people in Kunduz believe that the withdrawal of German troops from the province was too hasty. They wanted a longer stay of the German army to ensure peace and stability in the area.

(Das Foto im oben eingebetteten Tweet zeigt afghanische Kommandosoldaten)