Mazar-i-Sharif becomes the latest city to fall under Taliban rule, as the militants move closer to the capital Kabul and countries evacuate embassy staff.
Taliban forces have captured the major city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, drawing closer to the capital Kabul where Western countries have scrambled to evacuate their citizens.Some embassies in Kabul were burning sensitive material, while residents were stocking up on suppliesThe fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, confirmed by a provincial council official, was another major capture for the hardline militants, who have swept through the country in recent weeks as US-led forces withdrew.
Security forces from Mazar-i-Sharif were escaping towards the border, Afzal Hadid, head of the Balkh provincial council, told Reuters."All security forces have left Mazar city." Earlier in the day, the rebels seized a town south of Kabul that is one of the gateways to the capital. President Ashraf Ghani held urgent talks with local leaders and international partners but gave no sign of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign as a condition for any ceasefire.
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