(From Reuters)
Taliban forces were battling on Thursday in the capital of Afghanistan’s central province of Uruzgan, a top poppy-cultivating area, threatening government offices as the leadership fled to the airport, officials said.
Militants had fought their way to within a few hundred meters of the governor’s compound and police headquarters in Tarin Kot, a city of about 70,000 people, but by afternoon, officials said they had beaten off the attacks.
Arriving reinforcements included General Abdul Raziq, a border police commander from the southern region of Kandahar with a fearsome reputation, said Dost Mohammed Nayab, a spokesman for the governor of Uruzgan.
Aircraft and helicopters flew over the city, providing air support to embattled government troops and the Taliban had suffered heavy casualties, he added. Read More