Taliban militants slipped past government defenses early on Monday (October 3) and occupied or attacked central areas of Kunduz, almost exactly a year after they briefly captured the city in one of their biggest successes of the 15-year war.

Afghan forces were confident of recapturing the area.

"We are carrying out our operation very successfully and the enemies are not able to confront us. We give assurance to the people of Kunduz that we will demolish these coward enemies and you will be witnessing that," Mohammad Wadood said.

The attack in Kunduz, as well as Taliban gains in areas of Helmand and Uruzgan where they also threaten provincial capitals, has underlined the insurgents' growing strength and exposed weaknesses in the government, which is meeting international donors in Brussels this week to try to secure billions of dollars in additional aid.

Backed by U.S. Special Forces and air support as well as warplanes of their own, Afghan soldiers and police sought to clear the city overnight, said Kunduz police chief Qasim Jangalbagh.

Taliban fighters, seeking to re-impose their own law after their 2001 ouster, remained in several areas of the city but Afghan forces had made progress, he said.

Three members of the government security forces had been killed, with another eight wounded, he reported.

As of late Monday night, the U.S. military command in Kabul said it had yet to conduct air strikes in Kunduz against what the Pentagon called a "Western-movie style shoot-them-up" raid by the Taliban.

American Special Forces as well as aircraft were positioned near the city to provide support if needed, officials said.

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