A new advance by the Taliban.
They took the city of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday morning.
“We woke up this morning with the white Taliban flags all over town.
They are in the city.
They entered without a fight, ”said Ahmad Wali, a resident of Jalalabad.
The Taliban also claimed responsibility for the capture of the city.
“A few moments ago, the Mujahedin entered Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.
All areas are now under their control, ”said Zabihullah Mujahid, one of their spokespersons.
This leaves only Kabul, the capital, as a large city still controlled by the government.
Besides Kabul, a handful of minor cities are still under his yoke.
But they are scattered and isolated from the capital, and do not have great strategic value.
In just ten days, the Taliban took control of a very large part of the country and reached the gates of Kabul which they have now completely surrounded.
On Saturday evening, the Taliban captured Mazar-i-Sharif, the fourth largest city in Afghanistan and the main urban center in the north of the country.
Joe Biden defends US withdrawal
US President Joe Biden said in a statement on Saturday that after consulting with his national security advisers, he had decided that "around 5,000 troops" would be deployed to Kabul airport to evacuate diplomatic personnel, as well. than Afghans who worked for the United States and feared retaliation from the Taliban.
He also defended his decision to end 20 years of war in Afghanistan, reaffirming that "a year or five more years of American military presence would have made no difference, when the Afghan army cannot or does not want to. defend your own country ”.
France announced on Thursday that it had suspended from the beginning of July the expulsions of Afghan migrants who have refused their asylum application to their country of origin, due to "the deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan".
Read alsoAfghanistan: four maps to understand the lightning advance of the Taliban
The Taliban launched their offensive in May with the start of the final withdrawal of US and foreign troops, which must be completed by August 31.
They first seized large rural areas without encountering much resistance.
Then their advance has accelerated dramatically in recent days, with many cities falling into their hands almost as easily.