Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaves for Tajikistan

Ground Report | New Delhi: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani; A senior Afghan Interior Ministry official said that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left for Tajikistan on Sunday evening, British news agency Reuters reported. The president's office did not respond, saying it could not comment on Ashraf Ghani's movements for security reasons.

ALSO READ: Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Ghani to be new Afghan President

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

Meanwhile, the Taliban has issued a statement saying that its fighters are officially entering areas of Kabul and taking possession of offices. President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement on Saturday that he was mobilizing forces to protect Kabul and would not lose the progress made over the past 20 years.

ALSO READ: Taliban’s shadow on capital Kabul, US officials came out of helicopter

But after this last night, the Taliban moved very quickly, first capturing the stronghold of Mazar-e-Sharif in the north and then without any special resistance captured Jalalabad and other cities as well. The Taliban increased their power so much that President Ghani had no choice. The US was also asking him to step down and appoint an interim administration.

Let’s take a look at their lightning speed advance:

• April: US President Joe Biden announces that US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan between May and September 11, ending the longest-running US war.
• May: The Taliban launch a major offensive against Afghan forces in the southern province of Helmand, and in other provinces.
• June: The UN envoy to Afghanistan says the Taliban have seized more than 50 of the 370 districts. The Taliban launched a series of attacks in the north, far from their traditional strongholds in the south.
• July 21: The Taliban control about half of the country’s districts, according to a senior US general.
• August 6: Militants seize Zaranj in the south, the first provincial capital to fall to them in a year.
• August 13: In one day, the Taliban seized four more provincial capitals, including the country’s second city, Kandahar.
• August 14: Taliban seize northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif.
• August 15: The Taliban seize the eastern city of Jalalabad without a fight and besiege Kabul.

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp, and mail us at [email protected] to send us your suggestions and writeups.