Taliban Capture major cities , approacing to Afghan Capital Kabul

The Taliban Fighters .

 

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban have captured a large, heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan in a major setback for the government, and the insurgents are approaching the capital less than three weeks before the U.S. hopes to complete its troop withdrawal.

The fall of Mazar-e-Sharif, the country’s fourth largest city, which Afghan forces and two powerful former warlords had pledged to defend, hands the insurgents control over all of northern Afghanistan, confining the Western-backed government to the center and east. 

The Taliban captured all of Logar province Saturday — just south of Kabul — and have reached the Char Asyab district, just 7 miles south of the Afghan capital, according to The AP which cited local lawmakers. The insurgents also captured the capital of Paktika along Pakistan's western border.  

Taliban forces have gained control of 18 of 34 of Afghanistan's provincial capitals in just eight days — putting the insurgent group in control of about two-thirds of the nation's geography.

Addressing the Afghan public in a prerecorded statement released Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the remobilization of national security forces was a "top priority" and vowed to prevent further instability in the country.

"I understand that you are worried about your future. I assure you as your president that I will concentrate on preventing expansion of instability, violence and displacement of my people," Ghani said .