The important southern cities of Afghanistan, Kandahar and Lashkar Gah, are reportedly under the control of the Taliban. This claim was made by the Taliban themselves on Friday, 13th August. The two cities were covered in blood and smoke after witnessing heavy clashes among the government troops and the Taliban.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, took to the social media website Twitter and made some statements. He said that the Taliban have been successful in conquering Lashkar Gah, the capital of the province of Helmand. The mission was completed on Thursday night. He further tweeted that the Taliban militia invaded several government offices such as the provincial police headquarters.
The province of Helmand has been the fortress of the Taliban for over 20 years. The Afghan soldiers although never let them enter into Lashkar Gah or other residential areas. They had strong control over the areas. Further claims were made by the Taliban regarding taking a hold of Kandahar, the capital of Kandahar province. Kandahar and Helmand are neighbors so it had been easy for them to capture both sides by side. Footage of Taliban fighters roaming through the city earlier today took the internet by storm.
According to some yet unconfirmed reports, the western city of Firoz Koah was also under the control of the Taliban. Moreover, the Taliban lay claim to having declared the west of Afghanistan, including the cities of Qala-e-Naw and Heart. These claims, although, were not confirmed by the Afghan Government.
With the situation in Afghanistan worsening, the US government has urged its citizens to leave as soon as possible. The US Embassy cannot facilitate the citizens because of the deteriorating security conditions. Afghanistan has seen the worst since the US troops left. The Taliban are stronger than ever and have control over half of the country’s 34 provinces. To add to the misery, the citizens are witnessing bloodshed daily now. The Afghans stand alone in their homeland and watch it being taken away in front of their eyes. They are alone in this war that was bestowed upon them by someone else.
