Foreign fighters backing the Taliban in the besieged city of Kunduz are vowing to fight to death despite desperate parleying of both sides' commanders to stave off a bloodbath, refugees fleeing the city said. The fighting for the Taliban's last northern stronghold intensified as US warplanes stepped up bombing of Taliban positions and artillery of the opposition Northern Alliance unleashed their heaviest firing of recent days. The moves appeared aimed at softening Taliban positions in preparation for storming the city. City fighting could bring severe casualties for both sides, as well as for civilians trapped in Kunduz.
Gen Mohammed Daoud, a top Opposition commander in the siege, rushed to the front at sundown on Monday for the latest in days of negotiations with the Taliban governor of Kunduz province. Daoud was trying to negotiate a surrender, with blessing of Kunduz's one-legged Taliban commander Dadullah, according to refugees and Alliance officials.
But refugees quoted Taliban fighters as proclaiming to terrified civilians, “We are going to be martyrs. We are not going from Kunduz.” Bureau Report