Afghan government troops backed by US air support are fighting to wrestle control of Kunduz from the Taliban.
Here are some key questions and answers on the unfolding drama in one of Afghanistan's biggest cities, and what it means for Afghanistan as a whole.
What's going on in Kunduz and why does it matter?
A three-pronged assault launched by the Taliban on Monday saw them take control of a city for the first time since they were ousted by a NATO-led force in 2001.
The militants claim hundreds of fighters were involved, while the government placed the number as high as 2,000.
The hardline group has had Kunduz surrounded for most of this year, but until this week its attempts to breach the walls have been repelled by the US-trained and -equipped Afghan National Army (ANA).
But the relative ease with which they took the city on their third attempt -- in less than a day and seemingly without major losses -- bodes very badly for the ANA, which is no longer fighting side-by-side with its NATO allies.
If, say commentators, the ragtag grouping of semi-professional fighters can take Kunduz in this way, what's to stop them rolling over other cities?
"It's a disaster for the (Ashraf) Ghani government," said Pakistani expert Ahmed Rashid.
Why couldn't the Afghan army keep them in check?
There are thought to be between 5,000 and 7,000 ANA troops in Kunduz province, easily outnumbering the Taliban that attacked the city.
But since the withdrawal of NATO combat troops at the end of 2014, there have been enormous question marks over Afghan forces' morale and capacity.
Issues around basic discipline -- including maintenance of weapons -- remain, and government forces have little by the way of aerial support despite the existence of a rudimentary air force.
The failure in Kunduz will be seen as a setback for Ghani's foreign allies -- chiefly the United States -- which have spent more than $65 billion training Afghan security forces.
Why are the Taliban striking now?
There are a couple of reasons: Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the government of Ashraf Ghani, so it offers a cheap way to embarrass the US-backed president.
More significantly, the Taliban is undergoing something of an internal power struggle as different factions vie for supremacy in the aftermath of the death of founding father Mullah Omar.
Although he died in 2013, his death was only acknowledged in July this year, a fact that has caused consternation among the ranks.
An attack on Kunduz -- something guaranteed to grab the world's attention -- will go a long way to burnishing the credentials of Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the man named by leading Taliban figures as the new supremo.
What about the Islamic State group?
While the Islamic State group has secured high-profile gains in Iraq and Syria, its hardline brand of Islam is struggling to get a foothold in Afghanistan.
But with dissatisfaction among foot soldiers and mid-ranking Taliban commanders about their own leadership transition, IS has attracted a number of defections.
However, analysts say, its capabilities in Afghanistan remain limited, and it does not have the resources of its Middle Eastern franchise.
Taliban success in Kunduz puts IS firmly in the shade, proving that while the newcomers might be capable of planting a roadside bomb here and there or picking off policemen, they are nowhere near being able to take a city.
Can the Taliban hold their gains?
With US planes bombing Taliban positions outside Kunduz city, and Afghan special forces launching a ground assault on Tuesday, it is doubtful.
But that's barely the point.
The Taliban likely just wanted to prove that they could do it, even if that means melting away into the populace or leaving the city again as quickly as they came in.
"This attack should dispel the impression that we are getting any support from outside," one senior AFP commander told AFP. "We have the support of local people as they are fed up with local war lord militia forces."
Afghan government troops backed by US air support are fighting to wrestle control of Kunduz from the Taliban.
Here are some key questions and answers on the unfolding drama in one of Afghanistan’s biggest cities, and what it means for Afghanistan as a whole.
What’s going on in Kunduz and why does it matter?
A three-pronged assault launched by the Taliban on Monday saw them take control of a city for the first time since they were ousted by a NATO-led force in 2001.
The militants claim hundreds of fighters were involved, while the government placed the number as high as 2,000.
The hardline group has had Kunduz surrounded for most of this year, but until this week its attempts to breach the walls have been repelled by the US-trained and -equipped Afghan National Army (ANA).
But the relative ease with which they took the city on their third attempt — in less than a day and seemingly without major losses — bodes very badly for the ANA, which is no longer fighting side-by-side with its NATO allies.
If, say commentators, the ragtag grouping of semi-professional fighters can take Kunduz in this way, what’s to stop them rolling over other cities?
“It’s a disaster for the (Ashraf) Ghani government,” said Pakistani expert Ahmed Rashid.
Why couldn’t the Afghan army keep them in check?
There are thought to be between 5,000 and 7,000 ANA troops in Kunduz province, easily outnumbering the Taliban that attacked the city.
But since the withdrawal of NATO combat troops at the end of 2014, there have been enormous question marks over Afghan forces’ morale and capacity.
Issues around basic discipline — including maintenance of weapons — remain, and government forces have little by the way of aerial support despite the existence of a rudimentary air force.
The failure in Kunduz will be seen as a setback for Ghani’s foreign allies — chiefly the United States — which have spent more than $65 billion training Afghan security forces.
Why are the Taliban striking now?
There are a couple of reasons: Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the government of Ashraf Ghani, so it offers a cheap way to embarrass the US-backed president.
More significantly, the Taliban is undergoing something of an internal power struggle as different factions vie for supremacy in the aftermath of the death of founding father Mullah Omar.
Although he died in 2013, his death was only acknowledged in July this year, a fact that has caused consternation among the ranks.
An attack on Kunduz — something guaranteed to grab the world’s attention — will go a long way to burnishing the credentials of Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the man named by leading Taliban figures as the new supremo.
What about the Islamic State group?
While the Islamic State group has secured high-profile gains in Iraq and Syria, its hardline brand of Islam is struggling to get a foothold in Afghanistan.
But with dissatisfaction among foot soldiers and mid-ranking Taliban commanders about their own leadership transition, IS has attracted a number of defections.
However, analysts say, its capabilities in Afghanistan remain limited, and it does not have the resources of its Middle Eastern franchise.
Taliban success in Kunduz puts IS firmly in the shade, proving that while the newcomers might be capable of planting a roadside bomb here and there or picking off policemen, they are nowhere near being able to take a city.
Can the Taliban hold their gains?
With US planes bombing Taliban positions outside Kunduz city, and Afghan special forces launching a ground assault on Tuesday, it is doubtful.
But that’s barely the point.
The Taliban likely just wanted to prove that they could do it, even if that means melting away into the populace or leaving the city again as quickly as they came in.
“This attack should dispel the impression that we are getting any support from outside,” one senior AFP commander told AFP. “We have the support of local people as they are fed up with local war lord militia forces.”
