A Taliban flag flies in the main square of Kunduz city after fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces, in Kunduz, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. Taliban fighters Sunday took control of much of the capital of northern Afghanistan's Kunduz province, including the governor's office and police headquarters, a provincial council member said. (AP Photo/Abdullah Sahil)

Ben Burke Producer

International

Gaining ground: Taliban takes over two more capital cities in Afghanistan

Aug 09, 2021

Ben Burke Producer

By Ben Burke (Producer)

The Taliban is gaining ground in northern Afghanistan, taking over the capital cities of two more provinces Monday. The video above shows Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby discussing the deteriorating situation in the country.

The cities of Aybak and Sar-e Pul join three other provincial capitals now fully under Taliban control. In addition, Taliban forces are fighting for control of the city of Kunduz, the capital of a province of the same name. On Sunday, they planted their flag on a traffic police booth in the city’s main square.

Kunduz’s capture would be a significant gain for the Taliban. It is one of the country’s larger cities. It was repeatedly defended by Western troops after the Taliban tried to take it over several times.

The Taliban is also waging an assassination campaign targeting senior government officials in the Afghan capital, Kabul. On Sunday, an unknown gunmen shot and killed journalist and prosecutor Toofan Omar. According to police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz, Omar was traveling from Bagram to Kabul when his car was ambushed.

“Its not clear whether it was the result of a personal dispute or he was killed for being a prosecutor or journalist,” Faramarz said.

For weeks now, the Taliban has ramped up offensive measures since the United States first announced its combat mission in Afghanistan would end by the end of August. With Taliban attacks increasing, the United States and Afghan security forces and government troops have retaliated with airstrikes.

An example of this is in Lashkar Gah, the capital of southern Helmand province. The Taliban took nine of the 10 police districts in the city last week. One of the U.S. and Afghan government airstrikes damaged a health clinic and a high school in the city.

The fighting is raising growing concerns about civilian casualties. On Monday, UNICEF said it was shocked by the increasing number of child deaths. Over the past three days, at least 27 children have been killed in various provinces.

“These atrocities are also evidence of the brutal nature and scale of violence in Afghanistan which preys on already vulnerable children,” the agency said. It did not identify the side responsible for the child deaths. Meanwhile, UNICEF is raising another alarm, saying more and more children are being recruited by armed groups.

Tags: Middle East Crisis

John Kirby, Pentagon Spokesman: “The secretary shares the concern of the international community about the security situation in Afghanistan, which is clearly not going in the right direction, and the secretary continues to believe that the Afghan forces have the capability, they have the capacity to make a big difference on the on the battlefield.”

“This is their struggle, the commander in chief has given us a new mission, and that mission is to draw down by the end of this month, and that’s where we’re moving to. What it looks like. Beyond that, I’m simply not going to speculate. But this is their country. These are these are their military forces. These are their provincial capitals, their people to defend. And and it it’s really going to come down to the leadership that they’re willing to exude here at this particular moment.”

“The Afghans have capacity, they have capability, they have a capable air force, and as I said weeks ago, I think whatever the outcome here, when we look back, we’re going to be able to know we’re going to be able to say that it was driven by leadership, Afghan leadership, political and military leadership. That’s what’s vital here.”

We want all neighboring countries, all neighboring countries to to not take actions that make the situation in Afghanistan more dangerous than it is already and to continue to try to use international pressure to get a negotiated, peaceful political settlement to this war.”