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Taliban captures first provincial capital, eliminating Afghan government spokesman - Walla! news

2021-08-06T20:06:20.629Z


The extremist organization recorded a symbolic achievement when it took control of Zarange, on the border with Iran, the first provincial capital to fall into its hands since the beginning of the American withdrawal. In the capital, Kabul, his men assassinated the president's communications adviser. "Reminiscent of Syria"


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The Taliban captured the provincial capital first, eliminating the Afghan government spokesman

The extremist organization recorded a symbolic achievement when it took control of Zarange, on the border with Iran, the first provincial capital to fall into its hands since the beginning of the American withdrawal.

In the capital, Kabul, his men assassinated the president's communications adviser.

"Reminiscent of Syria"

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  • Afghanistan

  • Taliban

Reuters

Friday, 06 August 2021, 23:00

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Taliban fighters captured the provincial capital of Afghanistan today (Friday) and assassinated a government spokesman in Kabul, amid a deteriorating security situation since the withdrawal of U.S. military personnel and other foreign soldiers. A spokesman for the Nimroz district police in the south of the country said the capital Zarange had fallen into the hands of the extremist organization, due to the lack of reinforcements from the government.



The Taliban have recently stepped up their efforts to overthrow the government, and are fighting for the return of the strict Islamic regime that was in place in the country until 20 years ago, when they were ousted from power by US-led coalition forces. The organization's fighters have occupied dozens of provinces and border crossings in recent months, putting pressure on a number of provincial capitals, including Harat in the west of the country and Kandahar in the south.



The UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Debra Lyons, told the UN Security Council that it questioned the Taliban's commitment to a political settlement, noting that the war had entered a more deadly and destructive phase, "reminiscent of Syria, recently, or Sarajevo, in the past so far".

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, said the chances of Afghanistan entering a protracted civil war were a "blatant reality".

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Cars damaged after a car bomb exploded in the capital Kabul.

This week (Photo: Reuters)

Zarange is the first provincial capital to fall to the Taliban since the organization reached an agreement with the United States in February 2020 on the withdrawal of its forces from the country.

A local source said the Taliban had taken over the governor's office, local police headquarters and a camp near the border with Iran.



Taliban officials said the organization was celebrating the fall of Zarange, and that the success would boost the morale of the fighters.

A Taliban commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Zarange is of strategic importance because it is on the Iranian border.

Afghan security forces secure a checkpoint in Herat province last month (Photo: Reuters)

At the same time, Taliban fighters assassinated government spokesman and head of the Information Center, Dawa Khan Manfal, in another assassination attempt to weaken President Ashraf Ghani's government.

"These killings are a violation of the human rights and freedom of expression of Afghans," said a U.S. official, who described how sad he was in the wake of a fallout that he said provided real information to all Afghan residents.



"He was a young man who stood like a mountain in the face of enemy propaganda, and has always been a key supporter of the Afghan regime," said an Interior Ministry spokesman in Afghanistan.

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Source: walla

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