KABUL: The Afghan Taliban have taken control of thirteen districts in the last 24 hours, the highest number of areas falling to the group in a day as US troops depart from the country.
According to Afghan media, the Taliban took control of 13 districts – 11 districts in northeastern Afghanistan, one in the east and one in the south within a day. The Taliban now control 110 out of 370 districts in the country.
The districts include Kishm, Darayim, Tishkan, Tagab, Wardooj, Shahr-e-Bozorg, Raghistan, Jorm and Yaftal in Badakhshan, Kalafgan and Farkhar districts in Takhar, Zurmat district in Paktia and Shah Wali Kot district in the southern province of Kandahar. In Badakhshan, three other districts – Yumgan, Arghanjkwah and Khash – recently fell to the Taliban.
Some residents of Faizabad city in Badakhshan provinc said that clashes between security forces and the Taliban have reached closer to the city, leaving the people with concerns about their safety.
Amidst concerning situation in Faizabad, the police chief of Badakhshan, Khalil-ur-Rahman Jawad is under treatment in Kabul as he has tested positive for COVID-19.
“What we should do is to mobilize the elders of the ‘resistance region’ and create history for the second time by the second generation of the resistance,” said Nilofar Ibrahimi, an MP from Badakhshan.
Afghan media reported said that with the fall of Kalafgan and Farkhar districts, only Taluqan city and Worsaj districts have remained under government control in the province.
The Ministry of Defense said that 224 Taliban were killed in government forces operations in nine provinces in the last 24 hours. The ministry said that efforts will be made to retake the areas that have fallen to militants. “The security and defense forces of Afghanistan will not spare any efforts,” said Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
Taliban attacks have increased after the start of the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan. On Friday, the last US forces left Bagram Airfield, which was the largest military base for American troops in the country.
