Heavy Fighting As Taliban Attack Western Afghan City

Herat, Afghanistan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2018 ) :Afghan aircraft Tuesday bombed Taliban positions in the western city of Farah after the insurgents launched a major attempt to capture the provincial capital, with fearful residents seeking shelter from explosions and gunfire.

The attack -- the first major assault targeting a city since the Taliban launched their annual spring offensive -- began around midnight, with the militants capturing one urban district and parts of another, said local provincial council member Jamila Amini.

"Heavy fighting continues inside the city and aircraft have just started bombarding Taliban positions," she told AFP Tuesday from inside Farah. Afghan officials said police special forces from Kandahar and commandos from Herat had also been deployed.

"(The Taliban) will fail," vowed interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish, who said both Afghan and foreign air forces were taking part in the fighting. There was no immediate confirmation from NATO's mission in Kabul.