Voices from the Kunduz frontline in Afghanistan

Eyewitnesses say sporadic fighting is continuing in Kunduz

Taliban fighters captured the strategic city of Kunduz on Monday, trapping large numbers of residents and forcing officials to flee. Now, the government says it has regained control of key areas - but the Taliban denies the city has been retaken.

The BBC spoke to residents witnessing the fierce fighting between Afghan security forces and the insurgents.

Assad Azimi, 26, shopkeeper, near Bala Hisar fortress - 'The Taliban are hiding'

Bala Hisar was bombed and it's in flames right now. The situation is still tense.

There's sporadic gunfire and the Taliban are hiding in houses.

The operation began at 23:00 (18:30 GMT) last night and by 08:00 this morning (1 October) the security forces were everywhere in the city. People came out onto the streets. The mood changed and people were relieved.

People briefly returned to the streets on Thursday morning. Here, vendors sort through their wares

But at 11:00 this morning more fighting broke out. People are back inside their homes now and are feeling worried about the situation. After an hour of calm there's now gunfire going on - the fighting has started again.

'No one can sleep': Read more eyewitness accounts here

Samad Ahmadi, late 40s, university lecturer, on the outskirts of the city - 'Pockets of resistance'

Government troops were in the city by 08:00 this morning but the Taliban haven't been driven out completely.

The Taliban started firing at government troops from inside people's houses and from the top of high-rise buildings.

Civilians were wounded amid the fighting

The fighting continued but now it's sporadic. The situation seems to have changed from a full-scale battle to pockets of resistance.

The Taliban have scattered in groups of 10 or 12 people and are fighting with the government forces. Military helicopters are flying over the city.

Mohammad Yakoub, 28, university student, Imam Sahib district - 'They've raised the Afghan flag'

At around 07:00 this morning after a few shots the Taliban escaped from our district centre.

The Afghan security forces are back but not any local officials so far. They've raised the Afghan flag over the district chief's office and the police headquarters.

Government troops recaptured some of Kunduz on Thursday

Throughout the night while the Taliban were in control of our district we were all worried and no-one could sleep. All night long the Taliban were playing religious songs through loudspeakers from the roofs of people's homes and also from pick-up trucks that they were driving around in.

Ahmad Jawid, 28, businessman, lives near Traffic Square in the city centre - 'No electricity or water'

The situation is very, very tense. At 2.15 this afternoon the Taliban raised their flag again in Traffic Square. It had been taken down by Afghan security forces earlier in the day.

Many people have left their houses. The Taliban are still in different parts of the city, resisting the government troops.

Doctors say they are struggling to cope with the number of wounded people

I've heard that the Taliban have been knocking on people's doors and asking for food and water, but there aren't many people still left at home.

It's been very hot today. We don't have any electricity or water at home and we're relying on our diesel generator. It's getting dark now and the fighting is still going on.

Doctor, 30, Kunduz hospital - 'Struggling to cope'

The Taliban are still here and they're also in some government offices nearby.

We are struggling to cope with the high number of injured people coming in. We're all working on shifts now.

Interviews conducted by the BBC's Daud Qarizadah and BBC Afghan service colleagues. Some names have been changed.

Read more on the battle for Kunduz

• Why were militants taking selfies?

• Who is Mullah Mansour?

• The significance of Kunduz lies in its strategic location at the centre of drug-smuggling routes

• Taliban overrun Kunduz Images of how the Taliban suddenly overwhelmed the city

• Mullah Mansour's battle to be Taliban leader After all the disagreements, the Taliban says it has rallied around its new leader

• Who are the Taliban? A guide to the complexities and conflicts within the militant group