Taliban seize sixth provincial capital, press on with northern offensive after weekend blitz

[Taimoor Khan]

Taliban seize sixth provincial capital, press on with northern offensive after weekend blitz

"The Taliban are now in full control,” says governor of Afghanistan's Samangan province.

www.dawn.com

Taliban seize sixth provincial capital, press on with northern offensive after weekend blitz
AFPPublished August 9, 2021 - Updated about 2 hours ago

The Afghan ministry of defence says hundreds of Taliban fighters have been killed or injured in the last 24 hours. — Reuters/File
The Taliban seized a sixth Afghan provincial capital on Monday following a weekend blitz across the north that saw urban centres fall in quick succession and the government struggle to keep the militants at bay.
Insurgents entered Aibak without a fight after community elders pleaded with officials to spare the city from more violence following weeks of clashes on the outskirts, said Sefatullah Samangani, deputy governor of Samangan province.
“The governor accepted and withdrew all the forces from the city,” Samangani added, saying the Taliban were now in “full control”.
A Taliban spokesman confirmed the city had been taken.

The insurgents have overrun five provincial capitals across the north, sparking fears the government is rapidly losing control of the region.
They have also taken Zaranj, capital of Nimroz province, in the southwest.
Earlier Monday, the Taliban said they were moving in on Mazar-i-Sharif — the largest city in the north and a linchpin for the government's control of the region — after capturing Sheberghan to its west, and Kunduz and Taloqan to its east.
A spokesman said Taliban fighters had entered the city, but officials — and residents contacted by phone — said the group was exaggerating, with clashes confined to surrounding districts.
“The enemy is trying to distort public opinion and create anxiety for the civilian population by their propaganda,” said a statement from the provincial police force in Balkh, where Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital.
Mazar's longtime strongman Atta Mohammad Noor vowed to fight to the end, saying there would be “resistance until the last drop of my blood”.
“I prefer dying in dignity than dying in despair,” he tweeted.
The loss of the city, steeped in history and long an economic hub, would signal the collapse of Kabul's control of the north and likely raise major questions about the future of the government.
In neighbouring Kunduz, the second-largest city in the north that fell to the Taliban on Sunday, residents said insurgents were all over the city, occupying government offices and institutions.
“The security situation is not good and we fled to save our lives,” Rahmatullah, a 28-year-old resident, told AFP.
“It is like a horror movie,” he added.
Another resident Abdul Qudoos said fears were growing that Kunduz would face food and water shortages.
Fighting in the south
As the Taliban pressed ahead in the north, fighting also raged in the south, where Afghan forces have been locked in heavy street-to-street fighting with the Taliban.
The insurgents have for weeks been trying to take Kandahar and Lashkar Gah — both with Pashtun majorities from where the Taliban draw their strength.
“We're clearing houses, roads, and buildings that the Taliban occupy,” General Sami Sadat, commander of the Afghan army's 215 Corps, told AFP from Lashkar Gah.
The ministry of defence said hundreds of Taliban fighters had been killed or injured in the last 24 hours.
Both sides routinely exaggerate death tolls that are virtually impossible to verify.
The claims come a day after Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Taloqan in the north fell within hours of each other.
Northern Afghanistan has long been considered an anti-Taliban stronghold that saw some of the stiffest resistance to militant rule in the 1990s.
The region remains home to several militias and is also a fertile recruiting ground for the country's armed forces.
Fighting in Afghanistan's long-running conflict has escalated dramatically since May, when the US-led military coalition began the final stage of a withdrawal set to be completed before the end of the month.
The withdrawal of foreign forces is due to finish at the end of this month ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The US-led invasion sparked by 9/11 toppled the first Taliban regime in 2001.









Kabul link to the north is cut off?

 

[KaiserX]

What is radically different today with the talibans war strategy in the 90s is that the Taliban are attacking from all corners and appear to be taking the northern areas/city centers first where they have historically been weakest while following up with the same in the south right afterwards in almost lightning blitzkrieg like succession. Its almost like a pattern the last few weeks...

1) Taliban take kunduz, northern areas where the NA remained supreme. Take border posts with tajikistan
2) Taliban take West afghanistan/border posts with iran
3) Taliban take southern country side/border post with Pakistan
4) NOW- Taliban take nothern cities
5) FUTURE- Taliban takes herat/western cities
6) FUTURE- Talibans take Kandahar/southern cities
7) FUTURE- Taliban take Kabul Center- Final battle and besiege of Kabul from all sides

Its more than likely once they take Mazar I shariff, then Herat and the southern cities will fall in rapid succession over the next few days into week. After that they will have kabul surrounded on all sides and have 1 single target left with all fighter converging on kabul. Thats where you will see govt level ministers rapidly move to the taliban side

The afghan govt has simply been confined to the kabul area in the center of the nation with very limited time remaining

 

[HalfMoon]

Pakistan and Taliban are unstoppable.

Pushtuns are destined to rule Afghanistan+Pakistan.

Great times ahead.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

What is radically different today with the talibans war strategy in the 90s is that the Taliban are attacking from all corners and appear to be taking the northern areas/city centers first where they have historically been weakest while following up with the same in the south right afterwards in almost lightning blitzkrieg like succession. Its almost like a pattern the last few weeks...

1) Taliban take kunduz, northern areas where the NA remained supreme. Take border posts with tajikistan
2) Taliban take West afghanistan/border posts with iran
3) Taliban take southern country side/border post with Pakistan
4) NOW- Taliban take nothern cities
5) FUTURE- Taliban takes herat/western cities
6) FUTURE- Talibans take Kandahar/southern cities
7) FUTURE- Taliban take Kabul Center- Final battle and besiege of Kabul from all sides

Its more than likely once they take Mazar I shariff, then Herat and the southern cities will fall in rapid succession over the next few days into week. After that they will have kabul surrounded on all sides and have 1 single target left with all fighter converging on kabul. Thats where you will see govt level ministers rapidly move to the taliban side

The afghan govt has simply been confined to the kabul area in the center of the nation with very limited time remaining

The impression that is going out that America and Kabul regime concentrated their forces in south anticipating Taliban onslaught from Pakhtoon heartland and ofcourse to keep the pressure on Pakistan by protecting their carefully assembled terror infrastructure in areas around Pakistani border. I think they were counting on the old northern alliance militia to protect north, which now it seems in a rut after 20 years of being in power, while Taliban on the other hand have become more battle hardened. The steamrolling of north is indeed fascinating and unexpected.