An Afghan official says the military has sent reinforcements to a northern province to fight Taliban insurgents closing in on the provincial capital.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi says a major operation is underway in Kunduz province, where fighting continued for the fourth day Tuesday.
He says a Taliban commander and 27 of his fighters were killed Monday night in the province's Imam Sahib district, near the capital, also called Kunduz.