The Taliban arrived 150 kilometers from Kabul where they conquered Ghazni, the tenth provincial capital taken by the militiamen in a week. “I can confirm that Ghazni fell into the hands of the Taliban this morning. They took control of key areas of the city: the governor’s office, the police headquarters and the prison, ”said Nasir Ahmad Faqiri, head of the Ghazni Provincial Council, adding that fighting is still ongoing in some parts. of the city.
Ghazni is the closest provincial capital to Kabul conquered by the Taliban since they launched their offensive in May, coinciding with the start of the withdrawal of foreign forces, which is expected to end by the end of August.
According to reports from the two local councilors Nasir Ahmad Faqiri and Amanullah Kamran, who accuse the governor of having made a pact with the Taliban to hand over the city to them, the insurgents also broke into the provincial prison. And only a small group of government forces, guarding the intelligence offices, are resisting the Taliban militiamen.
Ghazni, which has about 180,000 inhabitants, is located on the important ‘ring road’, the road that connects the largest cities in the country. Due to its proximity to Kabul, the Taliban have tried several times to take control over the past few years. With the collapse of Ghazni, the Taliban now control 10 capitals of the 34 provinces of the country.
And following the Taliban advance, the United States is considering further staff reductions in the Kabul embassy. Denmark, on the other hand, is evacuating all personnel present in the country.