KABUL (HRNW) – The Taliban seized more major cities on Friday as they raced to take full control of Afghanistan and inched closer to Kabul, with the United States and Britain deploying thousands of troops to evacuate their citizens from the capital.
The evacuation orders came as the Taliban took control of Kandahar — the nation s second-biggest city — in the insurgency s heartland, leaving only Kabul and pockets of other territories in government hands.
The Taliban also captured the capital of Logar province, just 50kms (30 miles) from Kabul, with a local lawmaker saying the insurgents were in complete control of Pul-e-Alam city.
Earlier Friday, officials and residents in Kandahar told AFP that government forces had withdrawn en masse to a military facility outside the southern city. “Kandahar is completely conquered. The Mujahideen reached Martyrs Square,” a Taliban spokesman tweeted, referring to a city landmark.
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