After capturing several provincial capitals, the Taliban has now reportedly captured Afghanistan’s second-largest city, Kandahar.
The Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday that in a major blow to the Afghan government, the Taliban has captured Kandahar. Earlier, the Taliban claimed the capture of Herat, the third-largest city in the country.
“Kandahar is completely conquered. The Mujahideen reached Martyrs’ Square in the city,” a Taliban spokesperson tweeted, according to AFP. A resident also told AFP that government forces appeared to have withdrawn to a military facility outside the city.
In Kandahar, the Taliban seized the governor’s office and other buildings, witnesses said. The governor and other officials fled the onslaught, catching a flight to Kabul, the witnesses added. They declined to be named publicly as the defeat has yet to be acknowledged by the government.
The Taliban had earlier attacked a prison in Kandahar and freed inmates inside, officials said.
Hours before that the United States announced that it will send troops to evacuate personnel from the US embassy in Kabul. The Pentagon said 3,000 US troops would be deployed to Kabul within the next 24 to 48 hours and stressed that they would not be used to launch attacks against the Taliban. “We are further reducing our civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. “This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not the wholesale withdrawal,” he said.
Why is Kandahar so important?
Kandahar is the Taliban’s birthplace and former stronghold – taking control of the city would be a significant prize for the militants.
They had occupied the city’s outskirts for a number of weeks before launching their attack on the centre.
On Wednesday, the Taliban breached Kandahar’s central prison, and on Thursday, images on social media reportedly showed insurgents in the city centre.
A resident told the AFP news agency that government forces appeared to have withdrawn en masse to a military facility outside the southern city.
Kandahar is considered strategically important because of its international airport, its agricultural and industrial output and its position as one of the country’s main trading hubs.
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