Afghan forces say regaining control of much of besieged city

An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier keeps watch at a checkpoint on the Ghazni - Kabul highway, Afghanistan August 14, 2018.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan troops backed by U.S forces gained control of most of the embattled city of Ghazni on Tuesday, officials said, while a Taliban attack in another province raised new questions about Afghanistan's defences against the insurgency.

After five days of fighting, Ghazni, a strategically vital centre two hours from Kabul on the main highway between the capital and southern Afghanistan was a city of burned-out buildings and vehicles with bodies lying in the streets.