KABUL: US military planes hit Taliban positions on the outskirts of the fallen northern Afghan city of Kunduz on Tuesday, a NATO spokesman said, as Afghan national forces launched a counterattack to try to retake the city.
The attack at about 9 am (0400 GMT) marked the first US air strike to defend the city.
“US forces conducted an air strike in Kunduz today to eliminate a threat to coalition and Afghan forces operating in the vicinity of Kunduz,” said Colonel Brian Tribus, a spokesman for the NATO-led coalition. He did not elaborate on how many coalition forces troops were in the area. NATO officially ended its combat role in Afghanistan last year.
A scaled-down coalition presence now mostly trains and advises Afghan forces, although US drones still target militant leaders and a U.S. counter-terror force remains. (AGENCIES)
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