AFGHANISTAN: 2,000 families flee Taliban Kunduz assault

 More than 2,000 families have been forced to flee their homes in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz amid heavy fighting, officials say. The evacuations came as Taliban militants seized the district of Qala-e-Zal, just west of the city. Clashes continue in other parts of the city, as the Taliban try to increase pressure on […]

 More than 2,000 families have been forced to flee their homes in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz amid heavy fighting, officials say.

The evacuations came as Taliban militants seized the district of Qala-e-Zal, just west of the city.

Clashes continue in other parts of the city, as the Taliban try to increase pressure on government troops in both the north and south of the country.

The militants twice entered Kunduz in the past two years before retreating.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in a statement that while some fleeing families were able to find refuge with relatives, others were forced to sleep in the open.

"Those with no money, like widows, are in Qala-e Zal desert, as they couldn’t make it as far as the city. They are now living in the open," local resident Abdul Karim told the NRC.