Afghans face daunting task in rebuilding war-battered city

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (AP) — Two months after the Taliban rampaged through the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, residents are still sifting through the rubble, wondering how they will ever rebuild and worrying that the insurgents will return.

Ghani has ordered the dismissal and military trial of an undisclosed number of intelligence officials, including the provincial intelligence chief, over the failure to anticipate September's attack, which was the latest in a series of attacks on the city.

[...] many residents said they remain fearful, especially after seeing the Taliban make off with armored vehicles and tanks.

Zabihullah Majidi, a civil society activist in Kunduz, said the fighting destroyed hundreds of shops and homes, including high-rise apartment buildings.

Among the facilities destroyed in the fighting was a trauma hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders, which was the target of a sustained U.S. air assault that killed at least 30 people and sparked an international outcry.

The attack on the hospital destroyed the building and everything inside, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses and leaving him unable to pay back loans, he said.

The acting spokesman for the governor of Kunduz, Abdul Wasi Basel, said the top priority was security, followed by restoring water, electricity and other services.