Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday. (AP)The Taliban captured two major Afghan cities, the country’s second- and third-largest after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital on Thursday, further squeezing the embattled government just weeks before the end of the American military mission in Afghanistan.
The seizure of Kandahar and Herat marks the biggest prizes yet for the Taliban, who have taken 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals as part of a weeklong blitz. The capture of the city of Ghazni, meanwhile, cuts off a crucial highway linking the Afghan capital, Kabul, with the country’s southern provinces, all part of an insurgent push some 20 years after US and NATO troops invaded and ousted the Taliban government.
Meanwhile, the US and UK are scrambling reinforcements to Kabul to help evacuate their diplomats, soldiers and citizens as well as thousands of Afghans who have worked with them, as the Taliban advance towards the capital.
The Pentagon announced it would send three battalions, about 3,000 soldiers, to Kabul’s international airport within 24 to 48 hours of the announcement on Thursday. The UK said it would send 600 troops, and the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said Britain was relocating its embassy from the outskirts of the secure Green Zone to a potentially safer location closer to the centre of the capital.
A Taliban fighter inside the city of Farah. (Photo: AP)
The US secretaries of state and defense spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday and told him the United States "remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan" in the face of Taliban violence, the State Department said.Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Ghani Washington was reducing its civilian footprint in Kabul given the "evolving security situation" and would increase the tempo of Special Immigration Visa flights for Afghans who helped the U.S. effort in the country, the statement said.They also said the United States remains committed to maintaining a strong diplomatic and security relationship with the Afghan government, it said. (Reuters)
A Taliban spokesman said on Thursday to Al Jazeera television that the swift fall of big cities indicates Afghans welcome the group.He added, "we will not close the door to the political track."Envoys from the United States, China and other states on Thursday called for an accelerated peace process for Afghanistan as a "matter of great urgency" and for an immediate halt to attacks on provincial capitals and cities in Afghanistan.
The UN Security Council is discussing a draft statement that would condemn Taliban attacks on cities and towns causing high civilian casualties and threaten sanctions for abuses and acts that risk Afghanistan's peace and stability, diplomats said on Thursday. The formal statement, drafted by Estonia and Norway, has to be agreed by consensus by the 15-member body.
The text also "strongly affirms that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is not recognized at the United Nations and declares that it does not and will not support the establishment of any government in Afghanistan imposed through military force or restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. "The UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, last week questioned the Taliban's commitment to a political settlement, telling the Security Council the war has entered a "deadlier and more destructive phase."
"The Security Council condemns in the strongest terms possible the armed attacks by Taliban forces on cities and towns across Afghanistan, resulting in high numbers of civilian casualties," the draft statement reads. (Reuters)
Germany and the Netherlands have said they have stopped forced repatriations of Afghan migrants because of deteriorating security in Afghanistan, as the Taliban press on with their rapid advance in the country’s north. “Due to current developments in the security situation, the interior minister has decided to suspend deportations to Afghanistan for the time being,” tweeted Germany’s interior ministry spokesperson, Steve Alter.
Separately in The Hague, the Dutch state secretary for justice and security, Ankie Broekers-Knol, announced a “moratorium on [deportation] decisions and departures”. The halt “will apply for six months and will apply to foreign nationals of Afghan nationality”, she wrote in a letter to the Dutch parliament. (AP)
Canadian special forces will deploy to Afghanistan where staff in Canada’s embassy in Kabul will be evacuated before it closes, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. The official, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say how many special forces would be sent.
Just weeks before the US is scheduled to end its war in Afghanistan, the Biden administration is also rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the US Embassy. The moves highlight the stunning speed of a Taliban takeover of much of the country, including their capture on Thursday of Kandahar, the second-largest city and the birthplace of the Taliban movement. (AP)
Three Indian engineers had to be airlifted from a Taliban-controlled area in Afghanistan, prompting the Indian embassy in Kabul to reiterate on Thursday its security advisory for Indian nationals in the war-ravaged country.
Ministry of External Affairs’ Joint secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan & Iran) J P Singh went to Doha and met Afghan leader Abdullah Abdullah, along with Indian envoy Deepak Mittal. The latest advisory was in continuation to the earlier three — dated June 29, July 24 and August 10 — and stated that precautions and security measures advised in the previous advisories continue to remain valid. All Indian nationals in Afghanistan are again requested to strictly adhere to the measures, it said. Read More
The Taliban captured two major Afghan cities, the country’s second- and third-largest after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital on Thursday, further squeezing the embattled government just weeks before the end of the American military mission in Afghanistan. The seizure of Kandahar and Herat marks the biggest prizes yet for the Taliban, who have taken 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals as part of a weeklong blitz.
The capture of the city of Ghazni, meanwhile, cuts off a crucial highway linking the Afghan capital, Kabul, with the country’s southern provinces, all part of an insurgent push some 20 years after U.S. and NATO troops invaded and ousted the Taliban government.
While Kabul itself isn’t directly under threat yet, the losses and the battles elsewhere further tighten the grip of a resurgent Taliban, who are estimated to now hold over two-thirds of the country and continue to press their offensive.
With security rapidly deteriorating, the United States planned to send in 3,000 troops to help evacuate some personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Separately, Britain said about 600 troops would be deployed on a short-term basis to support British nationals leaving the country.