KABUL - Controversy is brewing over the Taliban's serious onslaught against Kunduz city last week with certain elements resorting to blaming others for the crisis.
On Monday last week, the Taliban carried out a coordinated attack from different directions against the city. Since then security forces have battled to rid the area of insurgents who have reportedly taken to hiding out in residential houses.
In a recent interview, Kunduz governor Assadullah Omarkhail blamed past action by security officials, particularly that of deputy chief of staff for the army, General Murad Ali Murad, for the crisis.
In addition, when asked about the civilian casualty toll, he said the death toll during the war in Kunduz was part of a divine order.
But on Monday, President Ashraf Ghani dismissed Omarkhail's remarks and said no official should justify their failures and inactions in this way.
"No government official has the right to justify their inactions and failures by misinterpreting a religious perception and fate," said Ghani.
Meanwhile, Murad, has said that he will soon disclose the names of those who allegedly played a role in the current crisis.
"Some elements which have played a role in the siege of Kunduz, I will share (their names) with the people of Kunduz; if anyone stops standing by the Kunduz people, they are making big mistakes," said Murad.
Omarkhail said late last week however that "forces were called out of the city, but inside the city they relied only on those roads which had been opened by them."
But as thousands of families have been forced to flee the city amid ongoing clashes, criticism is mounting.
"I want to convey my message to the president whom we consider as our grandfather - the president promised the people of Kunduz that the province will not collapse again (after October last year). He said the person who I appointed as governor will improve your security. So now he should dismiss this person (governor) who failed to bring us security," said a member of Kunduz's provincial council, Assadullah Sadat.
"Taliban fighters have been deployed in all areas even inside houses, the governor's officials claim that they have captured this and that, they (government officials) are only deceiving the people," said a resident, Sultan.
"They left Kunduz and went towards Dasht-e-Archi and some other remote districts, there was no need to clear those areas in the wake of situations in Kunduz," said another resident of Kunduz, Sorosh.
"Government is not abiding by its responsibility and does not care about the people," said Kunduz resident, Najmuddin.
Sources have meanwhile said that the complexity of the war in Kunduz has made it difficult to predict when the Afghan security forces will be able to recapture areas occupied by the hardline militant group. (Tolonews)