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Afghanistan: Three more provincial capitals and local army HQ fall to Taliban amid continued advance

US president Joe Biden says he does not regret decision to withdraw troops and urges country to ‘fight for themselves’

Chiara Giordano
Wednesday 11 August 2021 12:57 BST
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<p>The Taliban has seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of US troops</p>

The Taliban has seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of US troops

The Taliban has seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan and a local army headquarters, putting nine of the nation’s 34 in the insurgents’ hands amid the withdrawal of US troops.

The fall of the capitals of Badakhshan and Baghlan provinces to the northeast and Farah province to the west will put increasing pressure on the country’s central government to stem the tide of the advance.

While Kabul itself has not been directly threatened in the advance, the Taliban offensive continues to stretch Afghan security forces now largely fighting against the insurgents on their own.

The insurgents earlier captured six other provincial capitals in the country in less than a week, including Kunduz in Kunduz province – one of the country’s largest cities.

Politicians in Badakhshan and Farah confirmed the provinces had fallen, while an Afghan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Baghlan’s capital had also been taken.

On Wednesday, the headquarters of the Afghan National Army’s 217th Corps at Kunduz airport fell to the Taliban, Afghan officials told AP. The Taliban also posted a video online saying it showed surrendering troops.

The corps is one of seven across the army and the capture of the base now puts the country’s northeast firmly in Taliban hands.

The Taliban are battling to defeat the US-backed government and reimpose strict Islamic law following their 2001 ouster.

The north was for years Afghanistan’s most peaceful region, with only a minimal Taliban presence.

During their 1996 to 2001 rule, the Taliban were never completely in control of the north but they now seem intent on securing it before closing in on the capital.

After a 20-year Western military mission and billions of dollars spent training and shoring up Afghan forces, many are at odds to explain why the regular forces have collapsed so quickly.

The fighting has fallen largely to small groups of elite forces and the Afghan air force.

The success of the Taliban blitz has added urgency to the need to restart the long-stalled talks in Qatar that could end the fighting and move Afghanistan toward an inclusive interim administration.

People displaced by Taliban fighting reach out for aid from a local Muslim organisation at a makeship IDP camp in Kabul

The insurgents have so far refused to return to the negotiating table.

US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad brought a warning to the Taliban on Tuesday that any government that comes to power through force in Afghanistan won’t be recognized internationally and called for a return to talks.

Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the country’s north to escape battles that have overwhelmed their towns and villages.

Families have streamed into the capital, Kabul, living in parks and streets with little food or water.

Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden said earlier he did not regret his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by the end of the month as he urged the country’s leaders to fight for themselves.

“Afghan leaders have to come together,” he told reporters at the White House, saying the Afghan troops outnumber the Taliban and must want to fight.

“They’ve got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation,” he said.

Mr Biden added that the US continues to provide significant air support, food, equipment and salaries to Afghan forces.

Additional reporting by agencies

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