Amid the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban captured another provincial capital near Kabul on Thursday, adding to the ten provincial capitals the militant group has taken so far. Militants hoisted white flags in Ghazni, 130 km south-west of Kabul. Two local officials told the Associated Press that sporadic fighting was still going on at a military installation and intelligence base outside the city.
Videos and photos were posted online by the Taliban in which their fighters are seen in Ghazni, the capital of Ghazni province. Afghan security forces and the government are not ready to comment on the ongoing fighting for several days. Kabul is not directly threatened by the rising Taliban, but its rapid rise raises questions about how long the Afghan government will be able to keep the remaining areas under control.
The government may be forced to retract its steps to save the capital and some other cities as thousands of people displaced by the fighting have fled to Kabul and are living 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 the control of government forces.
Meanwhile, fighting has intensified in Lashkar Gah, one of the biggest cities in Afghanistan. Helmand MP Nasima Niazi said the capital’s regional police headquarters were targeted in a suicide car bomb attack on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Taliban captured the headquarters and some police officers surrendered to them, while others took refuge in the nearby governor’s office, which is still held by government forces.
Niazi said the provincial prison was also attacked by a suicide car bomb, although it is still occupied by government forces. But the Taliban has released hundreds of its terrorists in the past week and has seized weapons and vehicles.
Niazi condemned the airstrikes in the area and feared that civilians could be killed. He said, “Taliban fighters use ordinary people’s homes to protect themselves and the government is carrying out airstrikes regardless of civilians.” It is believed that the US Air Force airstrikes Afghan forces. is helping. It is not yet known how many people have been killed in American bomb attacks.