Afghan forces backed by air strikes are preparing a new offensive to clear Taliban militants encircling the capital of Afghanistan's province of Oruzgan, where the two sides have fought bitter clashes, officials say.
Street-to-street fighting in Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital, where Taliban fighters rampaged to within a few metres of the government centre on Thursday, has quieted as the frontline has moved 15 to 20 km away, according to Dost Mohammed Nayab, the provincial governor's spokesman.
"We have enough forces, ammunition and reinforcements at the moment," he said. "We are working on a bigger plan to eliminate the Taliban from Oruzgan. We will have a massive operation in three or four days."
The Taliban attack, in a province where Australian troops were based until 2013, reveals how thinly stretched Afghan security forces have become as they try to contain insurgents fighting to overthrow the government in Kabul.
Since the US-led military coalition declared the end of its combat mission in 2014, the Taliban have sought to move from their strongholds in rural areas and attack major cities such as south-central Tarin Kowt, as well as the capitals of the southern province of Helmand and the northern region of Kunduz.
On Friday US warplanes conducted at least three air strikes in Oruzgan, alongside strikes by the Afghan air force.
Taliban forces briefly seized Kunduz city a year ago and the US commander of the roughly 16,000 international troops remaining in Afghanistan has vowed to help Afghan forces hold onto the cities.
In an online statement on Friday, the Taliban said clashes continued and at least one local government commander had defected, along with some of his men and weapons.
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