Battle of Kunduz (2016)
The Battle of Kunduz (2016) was a significant yet brief conflict in which Taliban forces launched an attack to capture Kunduz, a strategic city in northern Afghanistan. The assault began on October 3, 2016, with Taliban fighters managing to take control of parts of the city for several hours before Afghan National Security Forces, supported by U.S. troops, regained control by the next day. This confrontation followed a series of Taliban attacks that had previously culminated in the capture of Kunduz in 2015, highlighting ongoing challenges for the Afghan government in maintaining security amid a resurgent Taliban presence.
Despite the successful repulsion of the 2016 attack, the incident raised ongoing concerns about the Afghan government's ability to ensure stability, as well as the effectiveness of U.S. military strategies in the region. The Taliban's persistent efforts in Kunduz aimed to undermine public confidence in the Afghan government. The battle resulted in casualties on both sides, including Afghan civilians and U.S. soldiers. The broader context includes the Taliban's historical influence in Afghanistan and their goal of reestablishing control over the country. The events in Kunduz exemplify the complex dynamics involved in the continued conflict between Afghan forces and the Taliban, as well as the implications for regional security.
Subject Terms
Battle of Kunduz (2016)
Date: October 3–12, 2016
Place: Kunduz, Afghanistan
Summary
The 2016 Battle of Kunduz was a brief attack by the Taliban attempting to capture the northern city of Kunduz from Afghan National Security forces. Security forces and allied US troops repelled the Taliban within a day and spent a week removing remaining Taliban from the area. Although the attack failed, this and a longer attack on Kunduz in 2015 reinforced doubts about the Afghan government's ability to maintain stability in large swaths of the country amid continuing Taliban insurgence.
Key Figures
Hibatullah Akhundzada: Leader of the Afghan Taliban since May 2016.
Kassim Jangal Bagh: Police chief in Kunduz city.
Ashraf Ghani: President of Afghanistan.
Akhtar Muhammad Mansour: Leader of the Taliban, 2015–16.
Key Events
- April 24, 2015—Taliban militants attack Kunduz, prompting a military buildup of Afghan National Security forces in the region.
- May 7, 2015—Afghan government launches an offensive against Taliban surrounding Kunduz.
- September 26, 2015—Taliban launch another attack on Kunduz, capturing the city for the first time since 2001.
- October 13, 2015—Taliban forces withdraw from Kunduz under pressure from Afghan troops assisted by US Army Special Forces and air strikes.
- October 3, 2016—Taliban fighters launch another attack on Kunduz, capturing parts of the city for several hours.
- October 4, 2016—Government forces regain control of the city center.
- October 12, 2016—Afghan forces announce that the Taliban has been cleared from Kunduz.
Status
Despite the Afghan National Security Forces' victory in Kunduz, Taliban fighters have continued to attack targets in and around the city. Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has pledged to keep fighting both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as part of the local coalition to combat extremist militants. Since the October 2015 invasion of Kunduz, remaining US soldiers in the region have been taking a more aggressive role and have more often engaged in direct combat, leading some to question current military strategy. US officials have stated that the Taliban efforts to capture Kunduz appear to be directed at weakening the popular perception of the existing government. On November 3, 2016, the Taliban attacked Afghan security forces on the outskirts of Kunduz. After hours of heavy fighting, at least thirty Afghan civilians and two US soldiers had reportedly been killed. Afghan police claimed that at least fourteen Taliban fighters, including a local commander, had also been killed in the attack.
In-Depth Overview
The Taliban is a radical Islamist group based in Afghanistan, largely representing the Pashtun, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group. The Taliban emerged during the nation's struggle for independence from Soviet domination in the 1970s and had complete control of the Afghan government from 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban was removed from power during the US-led invasion. Since then, the Taliban has operated as a guerilla organization attacking the Afghan government and foreign troops assisting the government, with the goal of reestablishing a Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. The Taliban favors an extreme conservative approach to Islam that uses Islamic tenets as social controls and, as such, considers the majority of Muslims as enemies of their particular fundamentalist interpretation of the faith.
The United States removed the majority of its soldiers from Afghanistan in 2014, declaring an official end to the Afghan War, while leaving some ten thousand troops to continue training and supporting Afghan forces. In the wake of the US troop withdrawal, the Taliban intensified terrorist attacks in the capital, Kabul, and other cities. In April 2015, a resurgent Taliban launched a series of attacks against Afghan security forces in Kunduz, the capital city of the northern Kunduz Province, which was the capital of the Taliban's 1996–2001 government and is strategically important as a link between the nation's eastern and western provinces. The Taliban attempt to recapture Kunduz prompted the Afghan government to commit additional troops to the city. In May, Afghan government forces launched a counteroffensive against the Taliban, temporarily forcing the Taliban into retreat.
On September 28, Taliban forces conducted a three-pronged attack on Kunduz. Despite having superior numbers and assistance from US Army Special Forces, the Afghan army was forced to withdraw from the city, thus marking the first time the Taliban had captured a major city since 2001. A local district governor, Zalmai Farooqi, told reporters that there were as many as seven thousand troops in the area, compared to as few as five hundred Taliban, but ineffective leadership thwarted the defense effort. After taking control, the Taliban was able to hold the city for fifteen days, though attacks by Afghan soldiers gradually weakened their positions and US air strikes reportedly killed dozens of Taliban soldiers. In October 2015, Afghan forces claimed to have retaken full control of the city.
Despite Afghan security forces maintaining control of the city, Taliban strikes on military, police, and civilian targets continued throughout 2016. On October 3, four groups of Taliban attacked Kunduz from separate directions in an attempt to divide local forces. Taliban fighters reached the central square of the city, taking control of several important checkpoints and, reportedly, a number of key government buildings. However, by the end of the day, Afghan forces, working with local police, had cleared Taliban fighters from the city and Police Chief Kassim Jangal Bagh issued a statement that the government had reclaimed control of the city. By October 12, Afghan and US officials announced that all remaining Taliban forces had been removed from the area. Though records of the number killed in the fighting were unclear, sources claimed that as many as two hundred militants had been killed and at least twenty local police and security forces.
Bibliography
Calamur, K. (2016, October 3). The battle for Kunduz resumes. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/10/kunduz-afghanistan/502622/
Goldstein, J., & Mashal, M. (2015, September 28). Taliban fighters capture Kunduz city as Afghan forces retreat. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/world/asia/taliban-fighters-enter-city-of-kunduz-in-northern-afghanistan.html
Koelbl, S. (2016, October 12). The Taliban erases Western gains in Afghanistan. Spiegel. Retrieved from http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/taliban-in-kunduz-is-erasing-gains-of-afghanistan-deployment-a-1116101.html
Kunduz assault: Afghan forces "in control of city." (2016, October 3). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37538449
Nordland, R. (2015, October 13). Taliban end takeover of Kunduz after 15 days. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/14/world/asia/taliban-afghanistan-kunduz.html
Rahim, N., & Nordland, R. (2016, November 3). 2 U.S. soldiers and 30 Afghans killed in Kunduz battle. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/world/asia/us-military-afghanistan-kunduz.html
Watson, I., Popalzai, E., & Hunt, K. (2016, October 4). Afghan forces regain control of key city of Kunduz after Taliban raid. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/03/middleeast/taliban-afghanistan-kunduz/
Wellman, P. W. (2016, October 12). Officials: Afghan forces clear Kunduz of Taliban. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved from http://www.stripes.com/news/officials-afghan-forces-clear-kunduz-of-taliban-1.433713