Taliban claim control of Afghanistan's second-largest city Kandahar

Ground Report | New Delhi: Taliban claim control of Afghanistan's; The Taliban's advance in Afghanistan is accelerating, and on Friday it claimed control of Lashkar Gah, in addition to the country's second-largest city, Kandahar. There has been no official confirmation of the fall of Kandahar or Lashkar Gah, but they can be seen inside the city in videos released by the Taliban.

Taliban claim control of Afghanistan's

If the Taliban's capture of Kandahar is confirmed, it will be the 12th provincial capital to fall to the Taliban in the past ten days. After Kandahar, Afghan government control is now limited to four major cities, including Kabul, two of which are currently under Taliban siege.

Kandahar is also important because the Taliban movement was born here and in the past it was their stronghold. It is also the country's leading commercial center. At the official level, the Taliban's claim of control of Kandahar has not yet been confirmed or denied.

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A statement issued by the Taliban on Friday morning claimed control of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah. The Taliban's media wing from these cities has also shared photos and videos on social media. A tweet from Taliban spokesman Zabihullah claimed that the Taliban had taken over "the whole of Kandahar" and Lashkar Gah.

Earlier, the Taliban claimed control of Kandahar's main jail, while several videos have been shared on social media showing inmates escaping.

Deployment of 3,000 US troops to Kabul

The United States has said it will send about 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to bring its diplomatic staff back. The United Kingdom has said it will temporarily deploy 600 troops to Afghanistan to help repatriate civilians. The British Embassy in Kabul will have a limited staff. The British Foreign Office has urged all citizens in Afghanistan to leave the country. An estimated 4,000 British citizens are still living in Afghanistan.

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"The embassy will remain open, but we are reducing the number of civilians in Kabul due to the changing security situation," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, according to AFP.

After a 20-year operation and withdrawal of foreign forces in the country, the Taliban have now rapidly seized one-third of the country's provincial capitals, which is a matter of global concern.

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