Aug 9, 2021: The Taliban on Monday took control of another provincial capital in Afghanistan, an official said, pressing on with their relentless offensive as American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country.

The Taliban have ramped up their push across much of Afghanistan in recent weeks, turning their guns on provincial capitals after taking district after district and large swaths of land in the mostly rural countryside even as they wage an assassination campaign targeting senior government officials in the capital, Kabul.

According to Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of the council for the northern province of Sar-e-Pul, the Taliban seized the provincial capital after more than a week of resistance by Afghan security forces, after which the city of Sar-e-Pul collapsed. He said government forces had now completely withdrawn from the province.

Rahmani added that pro-government local militia commanders also surrendered to the Taliban without a fight, giving them control of the entire province.

The city of Sar-e-Pul has joined three other provincial capitals that are now completely under Taliban control: Zaranj, the capital of the western province of Nimroz, Shibirghan, the capital of the northern province of Jawzjan, and Talqan, the capital of the other northern province.

The Taliban are also fighting for control of Kunduz, the capital of the northern province of Kunduz. On Sunday, thye hoisted his flag in the city’s main square, where it was seen flying over a traffic police booth.

The capture of Kunduz will be a major benefit for the Taliban and will test their ability to take and maintain territory in their campaign against the Western-backed government. It is one of the largest cities in the country with a population of over 340,000, and was a key area that remained safe from Western military occupation for many years.

After spending billions of dollars helping, training and sponsoring Afghan forces, many are at odds over how to explain the astonishing Taliban assault that has threatened – and taken away so much territory from the state.

Rahmani, the council chief in Sar-e Pul, said the provincial capital had been under siege by the militants for weeks, with no reinforcements being sent to the overstretched Afghan forces. A video circulating on social media Monday shows a number of Taliban fighters, standing in front of the Sar-e Pul governor’s office and congratulating each other for the victory.

Taliban operations across the country intensified as US and NATO forces began withdrawing from Afghanistan this summer. As Taliban attacks increase, Afghan security forces and government troops have been aided by US-backed airstrikes.

The Taliban have also taken over much of Lashkar Gah, the capital of southern Helmand Province, where they seized nine of the city’s 10 police districts last week.

On Saturday, Taliban fighters entered the northern Jawzjan capital after winning nine of the province’s 10 districts.

The provincial capital of Kandahar is under siege. As they roamed the provincial capitals, the Taliban issued an English-language statement Sunday stating that residents, government employees and security officials had nothing to fear from them.

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