The Taliban have captured eighth provincial capital in five days in Afghanistan, continuing their rapid advance in the aftermath of US troops withdrawal.
Member of Farah’s provincial council, Shahla Abubar said, “This afternoon the Taliban entered the city of Farah after briefly fighting with the security forces. They have captured the governor’s office and police headquarters.”
Parliamentarian Abdul Nasri Farahi said, “the Taliban has captured the province’s central prison”.
“After about two hours of fighting the security forces were overpowered and retreated,” said Mamoor Ahmadzai, the lawmaker.
The capture of Farah provides another border crossing into Iran for the group.
The Taliban have captured eight out of 34 provincial capitals in the country in less than a week.
Earlier, a senior EU official said that Taliban forces now control 65 percent of Afghan territory, are threatening to take 11 provincial capitals, and are trying to deprive Kabul of its traditional support from national forces in the north.
In response to the offensive, the Afghan forces have claimed they killed 361 Taliban fighters in air and ground offensives in the past 24 hours.
The government is focusing on defending larger, more strategically important provincial capitals and sending its resources there.
