Taliban victory Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Supported by: NATO Akhtar Mansoor(Supreme Commander) Timeline Major operations Airstrikes Major insurgent attacks 2002 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Massacres Other The Battle of Kunduz took place from April to October 2015 for control of the city of Kunduz, located in northern Afghanistan, with Taliban fighters attempting to seize the city and displace Afghan security forces.

[17] In response to the attacks, the Afghan government dispatched several thousand army troops to the region, and President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani convened an emergency meeting with military officials.

[18] After a week-long standoff following the initial assault, government troops began an offensive on 7 May against Taliban fighters, which had largely grouped to the south of Kunduz in the Gul Tepa district.

[26] The following day, Afghan troops mounted a counter-offensive that pushed the Taliban back out of much of the city, with the national flag raised over the governor's residence for the first time since the beginning of the battle.

[27] On 6 October, the Taliban renewed their attacks, apparently recapturing substantial portions of Kunduz, including the central Chowk Square and the northern part of the city.

[28] On 13 October, Taliban fighters withdrew from Kunduz after several days of heavy fighting with Afghan troops, who were supported by United States special forces and airstrikes.

[29] According to a statement published on a Taliban-associated website, the retreat was due to the prospect of additional casualties and ammunition expenditure in continued fighting.

[29] A US AC-130 airstrike hit a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF [Doctors Without Borders]), killing at 42 people,[30] in a series of bombing raids that lasted from 2:08 am local time until 3:15 am on 3 October.

[30] MSF had warned US and Afghan authorities of the hospital's location ahead of time,[32] but bombing continued for more than 30 minutes after it notified military officials it was under attack.

[39] The fall of Kunduz came in the first year after the end of the ISAF mission and it raised questions on the ability of Afghan forces to resist the Taliban insurgents without international support.