Afghan Taliban

An eyewitness told the BBC that he had seen the Taliban advance. Fierce fighting has been going on all day.

The defence ministry has denied the city is in militant hands.

Kunduz was briefly captured by the Taliban in September 2015 - the first time the insurgents had taken a major city - but government forces, backed by Nato, recaptured it within days.

The Taliban have published a video apparently confirming they are back inside the city.

In a statement, the Taliban acknowledged Mansour's death for the first time and named his successor as Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada.

Little is known of the direction he will take the militants but analysts say he is an uncontroversial choice.

Last year the Taliban were plunged into turmoil when Mansour replaced the group's founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.

Mullah Abdul Manan, the brother of the late Mullah Mohammad Omar, told The Associated Press that new Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor was "selected" by a small clique of his own supporters. 

That comes after Mullah Omar's son, Yacoub, also warned Mansoor didn't have the support of the wider Taliban.