Smoke rises after a fight between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel in Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.
The Taliban seized a radio station in Kandahar and took to the airwaves on Saturday after a swift attack on southern Afghanistan, which took a complete takeover less than three weeks before the US was ready to withdraw its last troops doubts have been raised.
The Taliban have seized control of much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in recent weeks, leaving the western-backed government in control of the center and provinces in the east, as well as the capital, Kabul and the northern city of Mazar. I – Sharif
The withdrawal of foreign forces and the rapid withdrawal of Afghanistan’s own troops, despite hundreds of billions of dollars in US aid over the past few years, have raised fears of the Taliban returning to power or the country plunging into civil war.
The first Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived on Friday to help partially evacuate the US embassy. The rest are due by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet the August 31 return deadline.
The Taliban released a video in which an unidentified insurgent announced the takeover of the city’s main radio station, which has been renamed Voice of Sharia, or Islamic Law. He said all staff were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Islamic holy book, the Quran. It appears that the station will no longer play music.
It was not clear whether the Taliban had purged past employees or allowed them to return to work. Most residents of Kandahar wear the traditional dress preferred by the Taliban. The man in the video congratulated the people of Kandahar on the Taliban’s victory.
The Taliban have operated mobile radio stations for years, but have not operated a station inside a major city since ruling the country from 1996–2001. At the time, he also operated a station called Voice of Sharia outside Kandahar, the birthplace of the militant group. Music was banned.
The US launched an attack soon after the 9/11 attacks, planned by al-Qaeda and carried out while taking refuge in the Taliban. After decades of war and unrest, the US moved toward nation-building, swiftly ousting the Taliban, hoping to create a modern Afghan state.
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a deadline for the withdrawal of all US troops by the end of August, pledging to end America’s longest war. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for the US withdrawal.
Biden’s announcement set in motion the latest offensive. The Taliban, which has long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure. They are now within 80 kilometers (50 mi) of Kabul.
Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes in fear of a return to the repressive Taliban regime. The group previously ruled Afghanistan under a stricter version of Islamic law in which women were largely confined to the home.
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