Clear, present danger: Taliban make strong gains in Warduj

The Taliban have taken over the Warduj district of Badakhshan province, CNN reported on Thursday, citing Fawzia Koofi, one of the first women to be elected to the Afghan parliament after the US invasion of the country.

The Taliban takeover in Warduj province represents a new setback for the Afghan government, after the group reclaimed parts of the city of Kunduz earlier this week. That was the biggest victory the Taliban has had in 15 years. Kunduz is a strategic hub on the main highway between Kabul and Tajikistan.

Earlier Thursday, Doctors Without Borders staff working in a hospital in Kunduz were caught in the crossfire as the Taliban and Afghan security forces  battled for control of the provincial capital.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2015.