Kabul : Taliban Six Afghans were in control of provincial capitals on Tuesday after an attack in the north forced thousands of people to flee their homes for the relative safety of Kabul and other centres.
The rebels are now eyeing the north’s largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif, whose collapse would signal the complete collapse of government control in a region that has traditionally been anti-Taliban.
Government forces are also battling radical Islamists in Kandahar and Helmand, the southern Pashto-speaking provinces from which the Taliban draw their power.
The United States – due to complete an army withdrawal at the end of the month and end its longest war – has left the battlefield. However, its special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been sent to Qatar to try to persuade the Taliban to accept the ceasefire.
Khalilzad “will pressurize the Taliban to stop their military offensive”, state Department said, and “help to formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation”.
Officials from Afghanistan’s most vested neighbors – Pakistan, China and Iran – will also attend the meetings.
But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said it was up to the Afghan government and its military to turn the tide, and that the United States could not do “much” to help.
Michael Kugelman of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was skeptical that Washington had the means to change anything.
“I’m afraid the Taliban (are) just that strong and the Afghan military is in so much trouble right now, it will be hard to find any sort of pace-changer from the US,” he said.
The Taliban has appeared largely indifferent to peace proposals, and appears to be intent on a military victory 20 years ago to return to power in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
As the fighting broke out, tens of thousands of people were fleeing inside the country, families fleeing newly occupied Taliban cities with stories of brutal treatment at the hands of insurgents.
“The Taliban are killing and looting,” Rahima said, now camped in a park in the capital Kabul after fleeing with hundreds of families. Shabarghan Province.
“If there is a young girl or a widow in the family, they forcibly take them away. We ran to protect our honour.”
“We are very tired,” said Farid, who was expelled from Kunduz, who did not want to be identified further.
In the Taliban-captured northern city of Kunduz over the weekend, residents said shops in the center were beginning to reopen as rebels focused their attention on government forces that had retreated to the airport.
Shopkeeper Habibullah said, “People are opening their shops and businesses, but you can still see the fear in their eyes.”
Another resident, who lives near the airport, said heavy fighting has been going on for several days.
“The Taliban are hiding in people’s homes in the area and government forces are bombing them,” said Haseeb, who gave only his first name.
“From the window of my house, I can see women, children and men all leaving. Some of them are barefoot … some are pulling crying children with them.”
The Taliban earned notoriety during their first term in power from 1996-2001 for introducing harsh interpretations of the Islamic regime, which barred girls from education and women from work.
Crimes were punished with public whippings or hanging, while many activities – from playing music to non-religious TV – were also banned.
They have given little indication of how they will govern if they come to power again, other than to say that it will be in accordance with the Qur’an, as opponents fear losing hard-earned rights. .
After capturing Aibak on Monday, rebels have now captured five provincial capitals in the north, raising fears that the government has lost its grip on the region.
They also captured Zaranj, the capital of Nimroj province in the south-west.
On Monday, the Taliban said they were moving into Mazar-i-Sharif – the largest city in the north and a linchpin for government control of the region – after capturing Shebergen to its west, and Kunduz to its east. and Talokan.
But Fawad Aman, spokesperson Ministry of Defence, said Afghan forces had the upper hand there.
“Great success,” he tweeted.
But as the fighting drew closer to the city, the Indian consulate in Mazar called on citizens of the country to board a “special flight” scheduled for later in the day.
“Any Indian national in and around Mazar-e-Sharif is requested to leave for India,” an official statement posted on social media said.
The rebels are now eyeing the north’s largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif, whose collapse would signal the complete collapse of government control in a region that has traditionally been anti-Taliban.
Government forces are also battling radical Islamists in Kandahar and Helmand, the southern Pashto-speaking provinces from which the Taliban draw their power.
The United States – due to complete an army withdrawal at the end of the month and end its longest war – has left the battlefield. However, its special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been sent to Qatar to try to persuade the Taliban to accept the ceasefire.
Khalilzad “will pressurize the Taliban to stop their military offensive”, state Department said, and “help to formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation”.
Officials from Afghanistan’s most vested neighbors – Pakistan, China and Iran – will also attend the meetings.
But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said it was up to the Afghan government and its military to turn the tide, and that the United States could not do “much” to help.
Michael Kugelman of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was skeptical that Washington had the means to change anything.
“I’m afraid the Taliban (are) just that strong and the Afghan military is in so much trouble right now, it will be hard to find any sort of pace-changer from the US,” he said.
The Taliban has appeared largely indifferent to peace proposals, and appears to be intent on a military victory 20 years ago to return to power in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
As the fighting broke out, tens of thousands of people were fleeing inside the country, families fleeing newly occupied Taliban cities with stories of brutal treatment at the hands of insurgents.
“The Taliban are killing and looting,” Rahima said, now camped in a park in the capital Kabul after fleeing with hundreds of families. Shabarghan Province.
“If there is a young girl or a widow in the family, they forcibly take them away. We ran to protect our honour.”
“We are very tired,” said Farid, who was expelled from Kunduz, who did not want to be identified further.
In the Taliban-captured northern city of Kunduz over the weekend, residents said shops in the center were beginning to reopen as rebels focused their attention on government forces that had retreated to the airport.
Shopkeeper Habibullah said, “People are opening their shops and businesses, but you can still see the fear in their eyes.”
Another resident, who lives near the airport, said heavy fighting has been going on for several days.
“The Taliban are hiding in people’s homes in the area and government forces are bombing them,” said Haseeb, who gave only his first name.
“From the window of my house, I can see women, children and men all leaving. Some of them are barefoot … some are pulling crying children with them.”
The Taliban earned notoriety during their first term in power from 1996-2001 for introducing harsh interpretations of the Islamic regime, which barred girls from education and women from work.
Crimes were punished with public whippings or hanging, while many activities – from playing music to non-religious TV – were also banned.
They have given little indication of how they will govern if they come to power again, other than to say that it will be in accordance with the Qur’an, as opponents fear losing hard-earned rights. .
After capturing Aibak on Monday, rebels have now captured five provincial capitals in the north, raising fears that the government has lost its grip on the region.
They also captured Zaranj, the capital of Nimroj province in the south-west.
On Monday, the Taliban said they were moving into Mazar-i-Sharif – the largest city in the north and a linchpin for government control of the region – after capturing Shebergen to its west, and Kunduz to its east. and Talokan.
But Fawad Aman, spokesperson Ministry of Defence, said Afghan forces had the upper hand there.
“Great success,” he tweeted.
But as the fighting drew closer to the city, the Indian consulate in Mazar called on citizens of the country to board a “special flight” scheduled for later in the day.
“Any Indian national in and around Mazar-e-Sharif is requested to leave for India,” an official statement posted on social media said.
.