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A30 world news
Dialuna 9 augustus 2021

Taliban takes key northern Afghan cities as battles rage on

to the city.

Both lawmakers spoke by telephone
in Kabul, where they live. They said
they had been in touch with officials
and provincial council members in
the morning and early afternoon, and
Beg was appealing directly to the act-
ing defense minister at his office.

Taleqan had been under siege in re-
cent weeks and largely cut off from
the rest of the country by Taliban
forces that had taken control of the
surrounding countryside over the
past three months.

The insurgents have been on a coun-
try-wide offensive that intensified
as U.S. and NATO troops began to
wrap up their withdrawal from the
country this summer. With Taliban
attacks increasing, Afghan security
forces and government troops have
retaliated with airstrikes aided by the
United States. The fighting has raised
(AP) — Taliban fighters seized miles (335 kilometers) away. growing concerns about civilian ca-
most of the capital of northern But the official indicated that the sualties.
Afghanistan’s key Kunduz prov- Another provincial council member Biden administration remains deter-
ince on Sunday, and took another from Kunduz, Mohammad Yusouf mined to stick to its plan to end the On Saturday, Taliban fighters entered
neighboring provincial capital Ayubi, also said Afghan forces only U.S. war in Afghanistan by the end of the capital of the northern Jawzjan
after a monthlong siege. The ad- control the airport and main army the month despite the Taliban’s rapid province after sweeping through nine
vances were the latest in a series barracks, and that the Taliban control strategic gains. of 10 districts in the province. Sev-
of blows to government forces as the rest of the city. eral other of the country’s 34 provin-
U.S. troops complete their pull- White House officials in recent days cial capitals are threatened as Taliban
out after nearly two decades in “The innocent and poor must pay the have raised concern about reports of fighters sweep through large swaths
the country. cost of the war in Kunduz and other retaliation against civilians in Taliban- of Afghanistan at a surprising speed.
parts of the country, both govern- controlled areas. They’ve also con-
The militiamen planted their flag ment forces and the Taliban are the demned last week’s killing of Dawa Earlier last week their fighters cap-
in the main square of Kunduz city, enemy of civilians,” said Ayubi. “One Khan Menapal, the chief of the Af- tured the ninth of 10 police districts
where it was seen flying atop a traffic can’t provide security and the other ghan government’s press operations of Lashkar Gah, the capital of south-
police booth, a video obtained by the doesn’t care about people’s safety,” he for local and foreign media, and a ern Helmand province. Heavy fight-
Associated Press showed. added. bombing that targeted acting Defense ing there continues, as do U.S. and
Minister Bismillah Khan Mohamma- Afghan government airstrikes, one
It was the fourth provincial capital to The Afghan government in Kabul di, killing eight and wounding more. of which damaged a health clinic and
largely succumb to Taliban fighters denies it has lost the northern city, high school.
in less than a week, as they ramp up which would be the fourth provin- White House press secretary Jen Psaki
a push across Afghan’s regions, and cial capital to be largely overrun by said on Friday that recent surge in at- The Defense Ministry confirmed air-
wage an assassination campaign in the Taliban fighters in the last week. In- tacks run counter to the “the Taliban strikes occurred but said they target-
capital, Kabul. terior Ministry Spokesman Mirwais claim to want international legitima- ed Taliban positions, killing 54 fight-
Stanekzai said that Afghan security cy” and offered that the militants “do ers and wounding 23 others. It made
Two provincial council members said forces continue to fight and have al- not have to stay on this trajectory.” no mention of a clinic or school be-
the Taliban took control of the gov- ready retaken some areas from the ing bombed in its statement. Deputy
ernor’s office and police headquarters Taliban, without elaborating. Also Sunday, the Taliban forces over- provincial council chairman Majid
after a day of firefights, as well as the ran Taleqan, the capital of Takhar Akhund said the facilities had been
main prison building, where 500 in- The Taliban has long considered the province which lies next to Kunduz, under Taliban control when they
mates including Taliban fighters were city a sought-after prize. It seized two Afghan lawmakers said. Takhar, were struck.
freed. Kunduz, at the heart of a major ag- a city of some 200,000, has particu-
ricultural region near Tajikistan, for lar significance for the anti-Taliban As they rolled through provincial
Kunduz’s capture would be a signifi- around two weeks in 2015 before northern alliance fighters who joined capitals, the Taliban issued an English
cant gain for the Taliban and a test of withdrawing in the face of a NATO- the U.S.-led coalition to oust the re- language statement on Sunday saying
their ability to take and retain terri- backed Afghan offensive. The insur- ligious militia in 2001. that residents, government employ-
tory in their campaign against the gents pushed back into the city center ees, and security officials had nothing
Western-backed government. a year later, briefly raising their flag Sayed Sharafuddin Aini, a member to fear from them.
before gradually being driven out of the Afghan parliament from from
It is one of the country’s larger cit- again. Takhar province, said the Taliban “No former civil servant and other
ies with a population of more than managed to take the city in the after- government employee including
340,000, and was a key area defended In Washington, senior officials from noon after three months of advances those who worked in the security
against Taliban takeover by Western the White House National Security during which it took control of all of sector ... should have any fear of the
troops over the years. Council, State Department and De- the province’s countryside. Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate,
fense Department were in close con- nor flee towards other places,” said
Councilman Ghulam Rabani Rabani tact with U.S. embassy officials in Another MP from the area, Nazifa the statement.
said that fighting was continuing at Kabul assessing the broader impact Yousefi Beg, said that all provin-
the city’s airport and other parts of of the fall of Kunduz, according to cial officials including the governor, Revenge attacks and repressive treat-
the city still in government hands. a senior administration official. The police chief, and council members ment of women have been reported
Kunduz is a strategic crossroads with official was not authorized to com- were on the run . She said she wor- however in areas now under Taliban
good access to much of northern Af- ment and spoke on the condition of ried about their safety and wanted the control.
ghanistan as well as Kabul, about 200 anonymity. government to send reinforcements