The Kunduz-Takhar Highway was closed to traffic following ‘heavy clashes’ between security forces and Taliban in parts of Kunduz province on Friday, local officials said.

Hayatullah Amiri, district governor of Khan Abad, said the Taliban attacks on police outposts along Kunduz-Takhar Highway were pushed back and clashes are ongoing between Afghan forces and the militants.

Meanwhile, Qala-e-Zal district governor Mahbubullah Saeedi said Taliban attacked security forces’ outposts in parts of the district on Friday.

He said the clashes are ongoing between security forces and militants in the district but they have managed to push back different Taliban attacks in Aaq Tepa, the center of Qala-e-Zal district.

A number of Kunduz residents and provincial council members meanwhile said they are concerned about ‘increasing insecurity’ in the province.

They claimed that insurgents are planning to attack Kunduz city once again.

The residents said Kunduz city would fall to the Taliban for the third time if government failed to overcome the situation and repel insurgents’ attacks.

Kunduz city has fallen to Taliban two times in past two years; however, security forces had managed to retake the city within few days.

Military officials have said that they have launched military operations in different parts of Kunduz in order to clear the areas of Taliban.