Taliban launch multi-pronged assault on northern Afghan city

A government spokesperson said the Taliban had launched a multi-pronged assault on the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts.

The Taliban launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday on Mazar-e-Sharif, a major city in northern Afghanistan defended by powerful former warlords. Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor in northern Balkh province, said the Taliban attacked the city from several directions setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts. There was no immediate word on casualties.