Asia

Home page

Asia

Taliban overrun northern Afghan cities of Kunduz, Sar-e Pul, Taloqan

09 August 2021 00:57 (UTC +04:00)

Taliban fighters overran three provincial capitals including the strategic northeastern city of Kunduz on Sunday, local officials said, as the insurgents intensified pressure on the north and threatened further cities, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The insurgents have taken dozens of districts and border crossings in recent months and put pressure on several provincial capitals, including Herat in the west and Kandahar in the south, as foreign troops withdraw.

The offensive has gathered momentum in recent days after the United States announced it would end its military mission in the country by the end of August.

Taliban fighters seized key government buildings in Kunduz, leaving government forces hanging onto control of the airport and their base, a provincial assembly lawmaker said on Sunday, raising fears it could be the latest to fall to the Taliban.