An Afghan National Army soldier looks at the Pakistani border.
- Taliban fighters have occupied or threatened to occupy 11 provincial capitals.
- All the gateways to Kabul were crammed with civilians who entered the city and fled violence elsewhere.
- exist On Wednesday, Islamists occupied Faizabad, the capital of the northeastern province of Badakhshan.
A US defense official quoted US intelligence to tell Reuters on Wednesday that Taliban militants may isolate the Afghan capital within 30 days and may take over it within 90 days because the resurgent militants control the eighth provincial capital of Afghanistan.
The official, who asked not to be named, said that the new assessment of how long Kabul can last is the result of the Taliban’s rapid nationwide results when the U.S.-led foreign forces withdrew.
“But this is not a foregone conclusion,” the official added that the Afghan security forces can reverse this momentum by increasing resistance.
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A senior EU official said on Tuesday that Islamists now control 65% of Afghanistan and have already or threatened to occupy 11 provincial capitals.
A Western security source in the city told Reuters that all the gateways to Kabul were trapped in a valley surrounded by mountains. Civilians entered the city and fled violence elsewhere, making it difficult to tell whether the Taliban fighters. Also passed.
He says:
People are worried about suicide bombers entering the diplomatic zone to intimidate, attack and ensure everyone leaves as soon as possible.
The loss of Faizabad, the capital of the northeastern province of Badakhshan on Wednesday, is the latest setback by the Afghan government, which has been working hard to contain the momentum of Taliban attacks.
Just as President Ashraf Ghani flew to Mazar-i-Sharif and gathered old warlords to defend the largest city in the north as the Taliban forces approached.
Jawad Mujadidi, a member of the Badakhshan Provincial Assembly, said the Taliban had besieged Faizabad before launching an offensive on Tuesday.
Mujadidi said:
With the fall of Faizabad, the entire northeast fell under the control of the Taliban.
Badakhshan borders Tajikistan, Pakistan and China.
The Taliban are working hard to defeat the US-backed government and re-enforce strict Islamic laws. The speed of their advance shocked the government and its allies.
home
US President Joe Biden urged Afghan leaders to fight for their homeland, saying on Tuesday that he did not regret his decision to withdraw. He pointed out that the United States has spent more than $1 trillion in 20 years and lost thousands of soldiers.
He said that the United States is providing a large amount of air support, food, equipment and wages to the Afghan army.
The United States will complete its withdrawal this month in exchange for the Taliban’s commitment to prevent Afghanistan from being used for international terrorism.
The Taliban promised not to attack foreign troops when they retreated, but they did not agree to a ceasefire with the government. The Taliban’s promise of peace with the government fell through when they watched the military victory.
A U.S. source familiar with intelligence assessment said that these views provide a range of possible outcomes, from the rapid takeover of the Taliban to a protracted battle to the possible negotiation of an agreement between the Taliban and the current government.
A senior Taliban leader told Reuters that the head of the organization’s political office, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradhar, met with the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan for Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, in Doha on Tuesday.
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Details of the meeting have not yet been announced. One of the conferences expected to be held on Wednesday will be “Troika Plus”-a platform led by the United States, China and Russia. The Taliban leader, who requested anonymity, said that the Taliban delegation will also participate.
Regional attractiveness
The Taliban’s progress has raised concerns about the regaining of power by the hard-line militants who emerged from the chaos of the civil war in the early 1990s. From 1996 to 2001, they controlled most of the country when they were expelled by Osama bin Laden, the leader of the US-led harbour al-Qaeda organization.
The new generation of Afghans, who have grown up since 2001, fear that progress made in areas such as women’s rights and media freedom will be wasted.
Afghan officials have called for pressure to be put on Pakistan to prevent Taliban reinforcements and supplies from crossing the border. Pakistan denies support for the Taliban.
During their previous rule, the Taliban never fully controlled the north, but this time they seem to intend to ensure its safety before approaching the capital.
Ghani is now seeking help from the old local warlord he has been watching for years as he tries to project the authority of the central government to the wayward provinces.
A resident said that in the south, government forces are fighting Taliban militants around Kandahar, where thousands of civilians from remote areas have taken refuge.
The Taliban occupied areas bordering Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and China, exacerbating regional security problems.
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