accept: Amid the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban captured another provincial capital near Kabul on Thursday, claiming its insurgents have so far captured ten of the country’s provincial capitals. Militants hoisted white flags in Ghazni, 130 km southwest of Kabul. Two local officials told The Associated Press that sporadic fighting is at a military installation and intelligence base outside the city.
The Taliban had posted videos and photos online showing their fighters in Ghazni, the capital of Ghazni province. Afghan security forces and the government are unwilling to comment on the protracted fighting. The Taliban, which continues to gain ground, did not directly threaten Kabul, but its sharp edge still raises questions about how long the Afghan government will be able to keep the remaining areas under control.
According to the latest update from BBC correspondent Yalda Hakim, the Taliban have also captured Herat, Afghanistan’s third largest city. This comes hours after the Taliban captured Kandahar, the second provincial capital after Ghazni, today.
The land is slipping out of the control of the Afghan government
The government may be forced to retract its steps to save the capital and some other cities as thousands have been displaced by the ongoing fighting and fled to Kabul in open spaces and gardens. Amanullah Kamrani, a council member from Ghazni province, told the AP that the two bases outside the city are still under government forces.
Meanwhile, fighting has intensified in Lashkar Gah, one of the biggest cities in Afghanistan. Helmand MP Nasima Niazi said Wednesday’s suicide car bombing targeted the capital’s regional police headquarters. On Thursday, the Taliban captured the headquarters where some police officers surrendered and others took refuge in the nearby governor’s office, which is still held by government forces.
Taliban frees hundreds of terrorists
Niazi further stated that the provincial prison was also attacked by suicide car bombs, even occupied by government forces. But in the past week, the Taliban have freed hundreds of their militants and seized weapons and vehicles.
Niazi condemned the airstrikes in the area and expressed concern about civilians who could be killed. “Taliban fighters use civilian homes for their own protection, and the government is carrying out air strikes regardless of civilians,” he said. The US Air Force is assisting Afghan forces with air strikes. The number of people killed in the US bombings is not yet known.
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