Afghan president delays trip to India amid Taliban attacks

As a part of their annual spring offensive, the Taliban have stepped up their attacks against Afghan security forces across the country, forcing Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to delay his visit to India by a few hours.

Officials said hundreds of Taliban insurgents had attacked police and army checkposts in the province of Kunduz, the militants’ last stronghold before US coalition forces drove them from power in 2001.

Now they threaten to overrun parts of the provincial capital, after fighting that killed eight Afghan security forces and at least two dozen Taliban, a spokesman for the provincial governor said.

“The threat level is very high, but with new reinforcements, our security forces have gained morale and god willing, we will win the fight,” said Abdul Waseh Basel, the spokesman.

The insurgents have overrun seven army and police checkposts in central Kunduz and two districts, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an e-mail statement.

Taking stock of the situation, the Afghan president has delayed his official trip to India by a few hours on Monday to hold an emergency meeting with the NATO commander in Afghanistan and top Afghan security officials.

Ashraf Ghani was scheduled to leave for India early in the afternoon, said a palace official, but instead went into an emergency session.