Taliban press on, take another Afghan provincial capital

KABUL – The Taliban connected Monday took power of different provincial superior successful Afghanistan, an authoritative said. The city's autumn was the latest successful a weekslong, relentless Taliban violative arsenic American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country.

The militants person ramped up their propulsion crossed overmuch of Afghanistan, turning their guns connected provincial capitals aft taking ample swaths of onshore successful the mostly agrarian countryside. At the aforesaid time, they person been waging an assassination run targeting elder authorities officials successful the capital, Kabul.

The expanse comes contempt condemnations by the planetary assemblage and warnings from the United Nations that a subject triumph and takeover by the Taliban would not beryllium recognized. The Taliban person besides not heeded appeals to instrumentality to the negotiating array and proceed long-stalled bid talks with the Afghan government.

According to Mohammad Noor Rahmani, the assembly main of bluish Sar-e Pul province, the Taliban overran the provincial superior aft implicit a week of absorption by the Afghan information forces, aft which the metropolis of Sar-e Pul collapsed. The authorities forces person present wholly withdrawn from the province, helium said.

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Several pro-government section militia commanders besides surrendered to the Taliban without a fight, allowing the insurgents to summation power of the full province, Rahmani added.

The metropolis of Sar-e Pul joins 3 different provincial capitals present afloat nether Taliban control: Zaranj, the superior of occidental Nimroz province, the metropolis of Shibirghan, the superior of bluish Zawzjan province, and Taleqan, the superior of different bluish state with the aforesaid name.

The Taliban are besides warring connected for power of the metropolis of Kunduz, the superior of bluish Kunduz province. On Sunday, they planted their emblem successful the city's main square, wherever it was seen flying atop a postulation constabulary booth, a video obtained by The Associated Press showed.

Kunduz’s seizure would beryllium a important summation for the Taliban and a trial of their quality to instrumentality and clasp territory successful their run against the Western-backed government. It is 1 of the country’s larger cities with a colonisation of much than 340,000, and was a cardinal country defended against Taliban takeovers by Western troops implicit the years.

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After billions of dollars spent successful aiding, grooming and shoring up Afghan forces, galore are astatine likelihood however to explicate the astonishing Taliban blitz that has threatened — and by present taken — respective of the country’s 34 provincial capitals.

Rahmani, the assembly main successful Sar-e Pul, said the provincial superior had been nether siege by the militants for weeks, with nary reinforcements being sent to the overstretched Afghan forces. A video circulating connected societal media Monday shows a fig of Taliban fighters, lasting successful beforehand of the Sar-e Pul governor’s bureau and congratulating each different for the victory.

The country-wide Taliban violative intensified arsenic U.S. and NATO troops began to wrapper up their withdrawal from Afghanistan this summer. With Taliban attacks increasing, Afghan information forces and authorities troops person retaliated with airstrikes aided by the United States. The warring has besides raised increasing concerns astir civilian casualties.

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The insurgents person besides taken astir of Lashkar Gah, the superior of confederate Helmand province, wherever they took 9 of the 10 constabulary districts successful the metropolis past week. Heavy warring determination continues, arsenic bash U.S. and Afghan authorities airstrikes, 1 of which damaged a wellness session and a precocious school.

The Defense Ministry confirmed airstrikes occurred but said they targeted Taliban positions, sidesplitting 54 fighters and wounding 23. Its connection made nary notation of a session oregon schoolhouse being bombed. Deputy provincial assembly president Majid Akhund said the facilities had been nether Taliban power erstwhile they were struck.

On Saturday, Taliban fighters entered the superior of the bluish Jawzjan state aft sweeping done 9 of 10 districts successful the province. And the metropolis of Kandahar, the provincial superior of Kandahar, besides remains nether siege.

As they rolled done provincial capitals, the Taliban issued an English connection connection connected Sunday saying that residents, authorities employees, and information officials had thing to fearfulness from them.

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However, revenge attacks and repressive attraction of women person been reported successful areas present nether Taliban control.

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