/ 09 August 2021

Taliban gains ground in Afghanistan

Afghanistan lurched further towards chaos at the weekend after 5 provincial capitals were captured by the Taliban. They are in different areas of the country and include Kunduz, which is strategically important because it’s the northern gateway to mineral wealth and Central Asia. “These cities that the Taliban want to capture will soon become their graveyards,” said a government spokesman as troops try to take back control of the cities. They are the first to be seized, and it’s big blow to the Afghan Government which is fighting to hang onto control after the departure of many US troops. The last troops will leave by 31 August. US airstrikes have been deployed to help the government in the last few days. Reports say that the Taliban now has control over half of the country’s 419 districts and has seized customs posts and much of the government’s revenue.

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