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The Taliban armed group has now captured more than a quarter of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals in less than a week.
The group has captured nine provincial capitals in Afghanistan since Friday, including Faizabad, Farah, Pul-e-Khumri, Sar-e-Pul, Sheberghan, Aybak, Kunduz, Taluqan and Zaranj.
The Taliban have already conquered large parts of rural Afghanistan since launching a series of offensives in May to coincide with the start of the final withdrawal of foreign forces.
Here are the latest developments:
Taliban control Kunduz airport: local sources
Local sources in Kunduz confirm information from the Taliban that they took the provincial airport and that members of the Afghan national security forces surrendered to the group, reports Ali M Latifi of Al Jazeera from Kabul.
“Since the fall of the province on Sunday, the airport was the only part of the province that the Taliban had not yet taken control,” he said.
The Taliban take control of the borders of northern Afghanistan (Russia)
Taliban fighters have taken control of Afghanistan’s borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the Russian daily Kommersant reports, citing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, heightening security concerns for Moscow.
Shoigu said the Taliban had promised not to cross the border, but that Moscow would continue to hold joint exercises with its allies in the region.
Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan, and the former Soviet republic is a member of a Moscow-led military bloc, meaning Moscow would be obligated to protect it in the event of an invasion. Uzbekistan also maintains close ties with Russia.
Uncertainty dominates second day of Doha talks
Mohammed Jamjoom of Al Jazeera, reporting from Doha, said the agenda for the second day of the Afghanistan talks held in the Qatari capital is not yet clear.
“At the end of last night, after a long day of talks, some of the diplomats present indicated that there could perhaps today be a meeting of the countries of the enlarged Troika – ie Russia , the United States, China and Pakistan – on the sidelines of these meetings concerning peace in Afghanistan, ”he said.
Taliban fighters patrol the town of Farah, capital of Farah province [Mohammad Asif Khan/AP]“The Enlarged Troika which is a Moscow-initiated group that meets and consults on ways to try to support the inter-Afghan peace talks. “
He also says it is difficult to say whether the meeting is actually taking place, as Russia did not attend on the first day of the talks.
“We didn’t know why they didn’t show up, but we expect that to play a role today,” he says.
Taliban say they fired rockets at Bagram air base
The Taliban say they fired rockets at Bagram air base north of Kabul.
An air base official said the rockets did not reach the base, instead landing in remote areas, according to Ali M Latifi of Al Jazeera, reporting from Kabul.
Afghanistan’s ninth provincial capital falls to Taliban
Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, is the latest to fall into the hands of the Taliban.
Zabihullah Attiq, a local lawmaker, told AFP news agency that security forces had withdrawn from the city after days of heavy clashes.
“The Taliban have now captured the city,” he said.
Three other provincial capitals fall into Taliban hands (officials)
Afghan officials said three other provincial capitals had fallen to the Taliban since Tuesday, putting nine of the country’s 34 capitals in the hands of the armed group amid the US withdrawal.
Officials told The Associated Press that the provincial capitals of Badakhshan, Baghlan and Farah all fell – Faizabad, Pul-e-Khumri and Farah respectively.
The Afghan government and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
President Ghani flies to Mazar-i-Sharif
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flies to the besieged city of Mazar-i-Sharif in the north of the country to rally his besieged forces, with Taliban fighters having now taken more than a quarter of the country’s provincial capitals in less than ‘one week.
He plans to “control general security in the northern zone,” according to a statement released by the palace.
The Afghan leader is also expected to speak with longtime Mazar-i-Sharif strongman Atta Mohammad Noor and infamous militia leader Abdul Rashid Dostum about defending the city as Taliban fighters approach its periphery.
The loss of Mazar-i-Sharif would be a catastrophic blow to the government in Kabul and would represent the complete collapse of its control over the north – long a stronghold of anti-Taliban militias.
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