Taliban continue their march towards Kabul as they occupy another city

Taliban fighters captured the capital of Afghanistan’s province, Ghazni.

Represents the capture of the tenth capital of the province It was captured by the rebels last week – more than a quarter of them in the country.

Fighting was still going on on the outskirts of the city. But officials say the Taliban have been flying their flag and the city has calmed down after hours of heavy fighting.

The Afghan central government in Kabul and security forces did not immediately recognize the capture of Ghazni, which is located 80 miles southwest of Kabul.

An official said the Taliban have also captured a police headquarters in a provincial capital in southern Afghanistan that is teetering towards loss in the hands of the insurgents as the district is bombarded by US air strikes suspected of bombing the area.

Fighting intensified in Lashkar Gah, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province, as beleaguered government forces hoped to hold on to the capital after a week-long lightning attack by the militants, in which they have already seized nine others across the country.

Afghan security forces and the government did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the days of fighting.

However, President Ashraf Ghani is trying to muster a counterattack by relying on his country’s special forces, warlord militias and US air power before the US and NATO withdraw at the end of the month.

Fighting in the long conflict in Afghanistan Significantly increased since MayWhen the US-led military coalition began the final phase of a withdrawal, it was due to be completed before the end of the month.

US President Joe Biden urged Afghan leaders to «fight for themselves», earlier this week.