Taliban captured the sixth Afghan provincial capital Aibak, in the last four days. They have seized the Samangan capital in the north after capturing Taloquan in the northeastern region of Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesperson has sent messages across media channels and platforms claiming that they have captured Aibak.
However, the seize was later confirmed by the Samangan’s deputy provincial governor, according to Al-Jazeera. “The Taliban is in full control,” he said.
The statement came soon after a Taliban spokesman tweeted that they have cleared Aibak’s government and police installations. Samangan is the fifth Northern Province seized by the armed group.
As per local media reports, the former Senator and governor of Samangan, Asif Azimi, has surrendered to the Taliban with his 150 fighters.
The sixth capture in four days will add further clout to the already over-stretched Afghanistan security establishment.
Taliban Gains Control On Three More Cities In A Day
The Taliban had annexed controls on three more provincial capitals of Afghanistan yesterday. It was a part of expanding their rule in the urban pockets of the country.
Overall, the armed rule took control of five cities on Friday. Their speed has put the Afghan security forces in an overwhelming position.
Cities Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul, and Taluqan fell within hours of each other on Sunday. Both Taliban and officials later confirmed the same.
Kunduz is a strategic northeastern city of the zone. Taliban released a statement reading that it captured all the police headquarters, governor’s compound, and prison.
UN Confirms Steep Rise In IDPs In Afghanistan
According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Afghanistan is witnessing a steep rise in internally displaced people (IDPs) after the foreign troop retreatment started in May.
At least 244,000 people were displaced internally since May as the Taliban advances their fight against the western-backed central government. It is almost 300 times higher than the same period last year.
As per the report, citizens are fleeing from eastern and northeastern provinces of the country and lack basic amenities like food to sustain themselves.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recorded 5,183 casualties in their July report, a 47% increase from 2020. The report also highlighted that deaths and injuries notably increased from May.
Red Cross has helped by providing treatments for over 49,500 people who were injured in the first half of the year.
