KABUL (Reuters) – President Ashraf Ghani congratulated Afghanistan’s armed forces in Ghazni on Friday for their victory over Taliban insurgents in the strategically important city after clashes that killed at least 150 soldiers and 95 civilians.
The five-day Taliban siege of Ghazni eased on Wednesday after Afghan officials declared that they had regained complete control of the city by killing hundreds of the militants.
Ghani met officials in the central city on the main highway linking the capital, Kabul, with the south, to assess security. He also met families of the victims and prayed for the dead.
 "I am here to help all those who have suffered losses, I am committed to building the city and also do everything to protect Ghazni,” Ghani said.
"Our soldiers have fought bravely and we stand committed to bringing peace,” he said.
The assault on Ghazni exposed the fragile grip Ghani’s Western-backed government has on security and its apparent inability to prevent large-scale militant attacks.
It also came as Ghani’s government and its international partners had been pushing for a ceasefire during next week’s Eid al-Adha holiday.