The second-to-last major city in Afghanistan surrendered to the Taliban without a fight. The road to Kabul is open

Afghanistan’s fifth-largest city, Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, has come under the control of the Taliban radical Islamists. Local authorities surrendered the city. According to them, this decision was made to avoid civilian casualties. Now, from the major cities, the Afghan authorities control only the capital Kabul.

“There are no fighting in Jalalabad because the governor surrendered to the Taliban, – said to Reuters one of the officials in Afghanistan. According to him, this was “the only way to save the lives of the civilian population.” Another official added that the Taliban agreed to provide a safe corridor for civil servants and security forces to leave Jalalabad. The decision to surrender the city was made to avoid “casualties and destruction,” he said.

Nangarhar provincial deputy Abrarullah Murad told The Associated Press that the city was surrendered to the Taliban by decision of the elders.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on Twitter that the movement had taken over the capital of Nangarhar. According to him, the governor, the chief of police, the intelligence center and all its units came under the control of the Taliban. “Also, all the tools, weapons and equipment in the province fell into the hands of the mujahideen,” quotes Mujahideen RBC.

The city of Jalalabad is located in the east of Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. The capture of the city opens a direct road for the Taliban to the capital, which is about 150 km away. In addition, militants control the road to Pakistani Peshawar, which is one of the main thoroughfares in Afghanistan.

The US military believes that Kabul may fall during three months.

On Sunday night, the Taliban captured Mazar-i-Sharif, the fourth largest city in Afghanistan, the capital of Balkh province. It is an important trade and transport hub with a population of over 400 thousand people. “Despite our determined resistance, unfortunately, all the equipment of the government and the ANDSF (Afghan Defense and Security Forces) was transferred to the Taliban as a result of a large-scale organized and cowardly conspiracy,” Afghan politician of Tajik origin Atto Muhammadi Nur, who from 2004 to 2018 served as governor of the province.

Noor said the purpose of the conspiracy was to “trap” himself and another politician, Marshal Abdul-Rashid Dostum, who served as Afghanistan’s vice president from 2014 to 2020. Nur noted that the militants failed to achieve this goal, and now both he and Marshal Dostum and a number of other government officials are “in a safe place” transfers RIA Novosti.

The politician also stressed that “the conspiracy that resulted in the fall of Balkh is very deep,” now it threatens Kabul. Earlier it was reported that Mazar-i-Sharif could become an alternative capital for the defeated government in the event of the fall of Kabul. But in the end, Mazar-i-Sharif fell even before the capital of Afghanistan.

On Sunday, the Taliban announced the capture of the center of the Afghan province of Daikundi – Nili. On the morning of August 15, they also captured the busiest border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan – Torkham. informs Interfax citing Taliban press secretary Zabihullah Mujahid.

Earlier on August 14, Puli Alam, the capital of Logar province, located 70 kilometers south of Kabul, fell without a fight. On Friday, the Taliban captured Kandahar, the largest city in the south of the country, as well as Herat, the largest city in the west, close to the border with Iran.

On August 12, gunmen captured the country’s second largest city, Kandahar, as well as four other major cities in Afghanistan: Ghazni, Herat, Tarinkot and Kalayi Nau. Earlier that day, the city of Mehtarlam in the east of the country fell. The government currently controls less than ten of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals, including Kabul (population 4 million). On Saturday, a Taliban vanguard was spotted just 11 kilometers from Kabul.

The situation in Afghanistan escalated in the summer against the backdrop of the withdrawal of the US military contingent and NATO troops. By the beginning of July, more than 90% of the American military contingent had left the country. The US troops are planning to withdraw completely by the end of August. However, against the backdrop of the rapid offensive of the Taliban, the United States began a return transfer of troops. To Kabul arrived 3,000 marines to guard and evacuate diplomats. US President Joe Biden ordered the deployment of a total of 5,000 US troops in the country “to ensure the safe withdrawal of US personnel and partners, and the safe evacuation of the Afghans who helped us.”

Many countries have begun to close embassies and consulates, as well as evacuate personnel from Afghanistan. On Saturday evening, the Taliban issued a statement explaining their military successes with support from the people of Afghanistan. The Taliban also assured the people of the country and foreigners that they would “, as always, protect their lives, property and honor, and create a peaceful and secure environment” for the people of Afghanistan. The Taliban stressed that these guarantees apply to diplomats and humanitarian workers.

Earlier, the Taliban themselves told journalists from Western countries what kind of order they would establish in the captured provinces. “For those who have had an intimate relationship outside of marriage, the punishment of a hundred lashes is public. For those who are married and have broken their oaths, the punishment is stoning to death. ” quotes representatives of the Taliban “Vesti.ru”.

The UN notes that the situation is completely out of control. And if events develop in the same spirit, an Islamic caliphate will be established in Afghanistan in the very near future.