Taliban Claim To Capture Second-Largest Afghan City Kandahar

Kabul: The Taliban claimed to have captured Afghanistan’s second-largest city Kandahar on Friday. This would leave just the capital and pockets of other territories in the Afghan government’s hands.

“Kandahar is completely conquered. The Mujahideen reached Martyrs’ Square in the city,” a Taliban spokesman said from an officially recognised Twitter handle.

The claim was also backed by a resident. “Government forces appeared to have withdrawn en masse to a military facility outside the city,” the resident was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

Effectively, the government has now lost control of most of Afghanistan.

The Taliban made inroads soon after the United States and its allies withdrew forces from Afghanistan. US President Joe Biden is determined to end war spanning two decades by September 11.

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