The speed of the Taliban advance has sparked widespread recriminations over U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops and leave the Afghan government to fight alone. The Taliban control about two-thirds of Afghanistan, with the last of the U.S.-led international forces set to leave by the end of the month, and their guerrilla army has waged war on multiple fronts, resulting in thousands of families fleeing the provinces in hope of finding safety in Kabul and other cities.
Reuters
August 12, 2021 / 16:50 IST
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Taliban fighters tightened their grip on captured territory in Afghanistan on August 10 as civilians hid in their homes and a pro-government commander vowed to fight to the death to defend Mazar-i-Sharif, the biggest city in the north. (Image: Reuters)
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Taliban insurgents captured the city of Ghazni on Augsut 12, the ninth provincial capital they have seized in a week, as U.S. intelligence said the capital, Kabul, just 150 km to the northeast, could fall to the insurgents within 90 days. (Image: Reuters)
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The speed of the Taliban advance has sparked widespread recriminations over U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops and leave the Afghan government to fight alone. The Taliban control about two-thirds of Afghanistan, with the last of the U.S.-led international forces set to leave by the end of the month, and their guerrilla army has waged war on multiple fronts, resulting in thousands of families fleeing the provinces in hope of finding safety in Kabul and other cities. (Image: Reuters)
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Fighting has also been intense in the southern city of Kandahar. The city hospital had received scores of bodies of members of the armed forces and some wounded Taliban, a doctor said late on Wednesday. Bordering Pakistan, Kandahar and other southern and eastern provinces have long been Taliban heartlands but it has been in the north where they have made their biggest gains in recent weeks. (Image: Reuters)
Government forces have withdrawn from hard-to-defend rural districts to focus on holding main population centres. All gateways to Kabul, which lies on a plain surrounded by mountains, were choked with civilians fleeing violence, a Western security source said, adding that there was a risk Taliban fighters could be among them. (Image: Reuters)
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The Taliban, who controlled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when they were ousted for harbouring al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden after Sept. 11, wants to defeat the U.S-backed government and reimpose strict Islamic law. A new generation of Afghans, who have come of age since 2001, is worried that the progress made in areas such as women's rights and media freedom will be lost. (Image: Reuters)
