On the edge of a dusty plateau near the northern city of Kunduz, Mohammad Khan and his family shelter in a threadbare tent. From here, he says, he can almost see his house 8km (5 miles) away across a river in Chahar Dara district. But there is a good chance it is now occupied by a Taliban fighter and his family. The area was recently overrun by insurgents who have made big advances in this part of Afghanistan, especially near the border with Tajikistan. The Taliban, bolstered by foreign fighters, have chosen Kunduz-a city far from the traditional Taliban heartland in Push-tun-dominated areas beside the border with Pakistan-as the focus for their annual spring offensive. Fighting in May displaced perhaps 6,000 families in Kunduz province, after the city itself almost fell to the insurgents in late April. "The army can't push them back, even with helicopters and heavy weapons," says Mr Khan.
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