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According to officials and a resident, the Taliban controlled Jalalabad in Afghanistan without fighting, effectively turning the capital Kabul into the last major urban area under government control.
The main eastern city, which is also the capital of Nangarhar Province, received rain early on Sunday morning.Its fall follows the Taliban attack The main city in the north is Mazar-i-Sharif.
The armed group posted photos online on Sunday, showing them in the governor’s office in Jalalabad.
Resident Ahmad Wali confirmed what the Taliban said on social media. He said: “We woke up this morning and saw the Taliban have white flags everywhere.” “They entered without fighting,” He told AFP.
The province’s legislator Abrarullah Murad told the Associated Press that after the elders negotiated the collapse of the government, armed groups occupied Jalalabad.
Another Afghan official based in Lalabad told Reuters that there was no conflict in the city “because the governor has surrendered to the Taliban.”
“Allowing access to the Taliban is the only way to save civilian lives,” the official added.
A Western security official also confirmed the fall of the city and stated that it allowed the Taliban to control the road connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In recent weeks, with the withdrawal of American-led troops, the Taliban have swept the country. Last week, its operations accelerated to lightning speed, shocking Western countries because the defense of the Afghan army seemed to collapse.
Taliban militants entered Mazar-e-Sharif on Saturday with little opposition as security forces fled from the highway to neighboring Uzbekistan, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north, provincial officials said. Unconfirmed videos on social media showed Afghan military vehicles and people in uniforms crowded on the iron bridge between the Afghan town of Hellatan and Uzbekistan.
Two influential militia leaders supporting the government — Atta Mohamed Nur and Abdul Rashid Dostum — also fled. Noor said on social media that due to a “conspiracy”, the Taliban had taken control of Balkh Province, where Mazar-e-Sharif is located.
Al Jazeera’s Charlotte Baylis reported in Kabul that the capital is now “the last big city still owned by the government”.
“It is unbelievable that nine days ago, the Taliban did not control a provincial capital, and they have not done so in the past five years. Now, most of these cities have surrendered without a fight,” she said.
“Kabul is getting more and more isolated. There is a lot of panic. The city has swelled and thousands of people from other provinces have fled here. Bank runs have also occurred. Prices have risen, including fuel and food prices.”
In a statement late on Saturday, the Taliban stated that its rapid progress showed that it had been generally accepted by the Afghan people and assured Afghans and foreigners that they would be safe.
The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) “will continue to protect their lives, property and honor and create a peaceful and safe environment for their beloved country,” it said, adding that diplomats and aid workers will not encounter any problem.
US President Joe Biden authorized the deployment of 5,000 soldiers on Saturday to help evacuate citizens and ensure the “orderly and safe” drawdown of US military personnel. A US defense official said that included 1,000 newly approved soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division.
The United States continued to hold peace talks between the government and the Taliban in Qatar this week. The international community warned that it would avoid the Taliban government brought by force. But the armed groups seem to have no interest in making concessions for victory on the battlefield.
At the same time, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani gave a televised speech on Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban victory. He vowed not to give up the “achievements” of 20 years since the US-led invasion toppled the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attack.
Ghani said: “We have already started consultations within the government with elders and political leaders, representatives at different levels of the community, and our international allies.” “We will share the results with you soon,” he added, but did not go further. Detailed description.
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