Afghanistan Updates: Over 70 pc of the country under Taliban as two more provinces Mazar and Maimanah fall
Kabul/IBNS: The Taliban continued to rapidly capture territory in Afghanistan. In the North, the two remaining Provincial capitals of Balkh (Mazar-e-Sharif) and Faryab (Maimanah) fell (Aug. 14).
Fall of Mazar-e-Sharif a conspiracy
Ustad Atta Mohammad Noor and Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, along with unknown numbers of their followers and ANDSF personnel, retreated from Mazar to Hairatan (Kaldar District, Balkh) and were attempting to cross into Termez, Uzbekistan. Ustad Atta tweeted (Aug. 15) that the surrender of Government forces in Mazar was a conspiracy, adding that he and Dostum were in a safe place now. The 209 Shaheen Corps HQ in Mazar was overrun by the Taliban. Meanwhile, the last remaining District of Badakhshan Province, Kiran Wa Munjan, was also captured (Aug. 14) by the Taliban.
Taliban makes huge gains in the east
In the East, the Taliban captured (Aug. 14) the capital of Laghman (Mehtarlam); Nurgram District (Nangarhar), and in Nangarhar, the Districts of Ghani Khel and Surkh Rod, while Taliban militants have entered Nangarhar’s capital Jalalabad. The Gardez-based 203 Tandar Corps has also surrendered (Aug. 14). With this, the Afghan Army formations remaining for the defence of Kabul are 201 Selab Corps, 111 Capital Division and the Special Operations Command.
Taliban now control over 70 pc of Afghanistan
The outfit now controls 24 of the 34 Provincial capitals and 259 of 426 Districts. Meanwhile, a riot in Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul Province was put down by security forces. Separately, General Sami Sadat, the former Commander of 215 Maiwand Corps and recently appointed Head of the Afghan Special Operations Command, has been placed (Aug. 14) in charge of the defence of Kabul city.
Biden deploys more troops for safe passage of US Embassy personnel
President Biden has authorised the deployment of an additional 1,000 troops to Kabul for assisting with evacuation of US Embassy personnel, bringing the total US troop strength there to 5,000. Biden released a statement (Aug. 14) to this effect, adding that the US State Department would continue supporting efforts to reach a negotiated political settlement, adding that Taliban representatives in Doha have been cautioned that any Taliban action which harms US personnel would be met with a swift military response.
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