Taliban conduct heavy attacks in Afghanistan's Lashkargah, Sheberghan cities in last 24 hours

KABUL: The Taliban conducted heavy attacks on the center of Lashkargah city in Helmand and Sheberghan city in Jawzjan province in the last 24 hours. The terrorists entered some of the key government facilities, TOLOnews reported.

In Jawzjan, the group made some progress until Friday afternoon, but soon they were pushed back from the city.

The Afghanistan Defense Ministry in a statement late on Friday evening said the center of Sheberghan city was retaken by Afghan troops -- who were supported by Air Force and the local forces loyal to former vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum.

Jawzjan lawmakers said that heavy fighting was underway near the police headquarters, the office of the intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), and the governor's office in Sheberghan.

Mawlavi Abdul Hai, a member of the Jawzjan provincial council, said the security agencies are not paying the required attention to the province.  "Jawzjan is also part of the geography of Afghanistan," he said. "The soldiers who fought for three or four months in Jawzjan were killed or wounded today. For God's sake, when you will address the issue of Sheberghan?" MP Halima Sadaf Rahimi asked.

In Helmand, meanwhile, fighting continues in Lashkargah city's District 1. Videos on social media show shops have caught fire in the ongoing clashes between government forces and the Taliban. "What the central government is doing? Stop the violence," said Mahmoud Khan, a civil society activist in Helmand.

Over the past few weeks, the Taliban have captured several key districts in Afghanistan including the country's northeastern province Takhar. Last week, the Taliban had killed a popular Afghan comedian in the country's Kandahar province.

After capturing new areas in Afghanistan, the Taliban has re-imposed repressive laws and retrograde policies on Afghan women that defined its 1996-2001 rule when they enforced their version of Islamic Sharia law.