Afghan security forces stand guard at an Afghan National Army outpost after an attack by Taliban militants, in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

The Taliban on Wednesday said they were prepared to battle Afghan forces after the president told troops to resume offensive operations following grisly attacks that have further unraveled a fragile peace process.

New details have emerged on Tuesday's assault on a Kabul maternity hospital, where at least 24 people, including infants, mothers and nurses were killed. The daylight attack was followed by a blast at a funeral that killed 32 mourners.

According to international humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, which runs the maternity wing at the Barchi Hospital in west Kabul, one woman gave birth during the lengthy attack.

"While pregnant women and babies were seeking health care in one of the most vulnerable states in life ... attackers stormed the maternity [unit] through a series of explosions and gunfire lasting for hours," MSF said in a statement.

The group said at least one Afghan colleague appeared to have been among those killed in the "revolting" attack.

President Ashraf Ghani blamed both that assault and the funeral bombing on the Taliban and the Islamic State group, ordering Afghan troops to "resume their operations against the enemy."

For weeks Afghan forces had been on a "defensive" posture to ease peace talks with the Taliban.

But the insurgents, who denied involvement in Tuesday's attacks, warned they were "fully prepared" to counter any strikes by Afghan forces.

The aggressive moves threaten the fraying peace process just as Afghanistan grapples with a public health crisis triggered by COVID-19.

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned "the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks." 

AFP