Taliban take total control of northeast Afghanistan
Print Edition
Taliban fighters took control of another city in northern Afghanistan yesterday, an official said, the eighth provincial capital to fall to the insurgents in six days as United States-led foreign forces complete their withdrawal.
The Taliban capture of Faizabad, capital of the northeastern province of Badakhshan, came as President Ashraf Ghani landed in Mazar-i-Sharif to rally its defenders as Taliban forces closed in on the biggest city in the north.
Jawad Mujadidi, a provincial council member from Badakhshan, said the Taliban had laid siege to Faizabad before launching an offensive on Tuesday.
鈥淯nfortunately, after hours of heavy fighting the ANDSF retreated,鈥 Mujadidi said, referring to national security forces. 鈥淲ith the fall of Faizabad the whole of the northeast has come under Taliban control.鈥
Badakhshan borders Tajikistan, Pakistan and China. The loss of the city is the latest setback for the beleaguered government, which has been struggling to stem the momentum of Taliban assaults in the last few months.
The Taliban are battling to defeat the US-backed government and reimpose strict Islamic law. The speed of their advance has shocked the government.
Taliban forces now control 65 percent of Afghanistan, have taken or threaten to take 11 provincial capitals and seek to deprive Kabul of its traditional support from national forces in the north, a European Union official said on Tuesday.
US President Joe Biden urged Afghan leaders to fight for their homeland, saying on Tuesday he did not regret his decision to withdraw, noting that the US had spent more than US$1 trillion over 20 years and lost thousands of troops.
The US was providing significant air support, food, equipment and salaries to Afghan forces, he said.
The north was for years Afghanistan鈥檚 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 this time, they seem intent on securing it before closing in on the capital.
The Taliban had also taken control of borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Russia鈥檚 Kommersant daily said, citing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, raising Moscow鈥檚 security concerns.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
