Afghan officials say government security forces have pushed Taliban militants back from the south side of the city of Kunduz in a battle that is now in its fourth day.
General Qasim Jungalbagh, the police chief for Kunduz Province, made the remarks about battle in the northern Afghan city on October 6.
The south side of Kunduz city is the location of a strategic airfield that is vital for the reinforcement and logistical support of government forces in Kunduz.
But Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of the Kunduz provincial council, said gun battles in the east and west of the city had continued through the early morning hours of October 6.
The U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, said Afghan commandoes were clearing what he described as "isolated pockets of Taliban resistance" within the city.
Afghan officials also said many civilians were leaving the city on October 6 to escape the ongoing battle.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP