Afghanistan’s main insurgent Taliban group has taken control of Kandahar district after an overnight battle. As the US military prepares to leave Afghanistan in July, the Taliban have stepped up their offensive against Afghan government force.
Kandahar is considered by the Taliban to be their main stronghold. Since May, the Taliban have been successfully conducting operations in rural Afghanistan.
The Taliban have taken control of the Southern Punjwai district of Kandahar province within two days of the evacuation of Bagram airfield near Kabul by US and NATI troops. The US military has been carrying out airstrikes against the Taliban and al-Qaeda for two decades.
Over the past few years, the Taliban and Afghan forces have repeatedly fought for control of the Punjwai district Kandahar province is considered by the Taliban as their homeland.
Hasti Mohammad, the governor of Punjwai district, said there had been an overnight gunfight between the Taliban army and the Afghan army and that the Afghan army had left the district in the morning. He said the Taliban has seized the district police headquarters and the governor’s office.
Kandahar provincial council chief Saeed Jan Khakriwal also confirmed that Punjwai was under Taliban control and accused government forces of deliberately leaving the district.
In recent weeks, conflict has erupted in many parts of Afghanistan and the Taliban have claimed control of more than 100 of the country’s 400 districts.
With the evacuation of Bagram airfield, the Taliban are expected to fight harder to gain control of new areas. Government forces have said the Bagram airfield will be used to fight terrorism. The military says it has re-launched the airport’s radar system. By Muna Chand
