Surprise Taliban attack in Afghanistan leads to hundreds of deaths

Ghazni.
(Image credit: Zakeria Hashimi/AFP/Getty Images)

The Taliban launched a surprise attack Friday on the city of Ghazni, between Kabul and Kandahar, and militants have been able to take control of some areas, holing up in mosques and houses.

Afghan officials said Monday that the Taliban killed at least 100 police and security forces and 20 to 30 civilians, while 200 Taliban fighters are dead. Ghazni is an important city on a major highway, and Afghan forces are on the offense, trying to get the militants out. Afghan officials told NPR they have been able to take back some parts of the city from the Taliban, and they plan on striking from all sides of the city.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.