Afghanistan: Taliban take Sheberghan, stronghold of warlord Dostom
The Taliban took control on Friday of a first provincial capital, Zaranj, without real resistance from the Afghan forces, already busy defending several other provincial capitals across the country (illustrative image).
REUTERS - STRINGER
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The Taliban seized on Saturday the city of Sheberghan, in northern Afghanistan, the second provincial capital to fall into the hands of the insurgents in less than 24 hours and since the start of the final withdrawal of foreign forces from the country in May.
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"
Unfortunately the Taliban have seized the city of Sheberghan,
" Qader Malia, vice-governor of Jawzjan province, of which Sheberghan is the capital, told AFP, adding that "
the (Afghan) forces and officials have fled to the airport
”.
Jawzjan province is or was the stronghold of
Marshal Dostom
, a powerful and feared leader of the Uzbek militia, a majority community in the north of the country.
The latter, who was vice-president of the country from 2014 to 2020, recently returned from Turkey facing the threat of his stronghold falling into the hands of the Taliban.
►
To read also:
Afghanistan: the famous warlord Rachid Dostom returns to the country to save his stronghold
An adviser to Marshal Dostom confirmed Sheberghan's downfall.
“
Security forces and officials have retreated to an area about 20 km from the city.
They had already prepared, in particular by transferring enough ammunition there to defend themselves against an attack by the Taliban,
”he said.
A strategy of encircling cities
The Taliban took control on Friday of a first provincial capital,
Zaranj, capital of Nimroz
in the southwest of the country, without encountering any real resistance from the Afghan forces, already busy defending several other provincial capitals across the country. country.
The Taliban have seized vast rural areas in the past three months, and are now directing their offensives on major cities, encircling several provincial capitals, including Kandahar and Herat, the second and third most populous cities in the country.
►
To read also
: "
The Taliban have a strategy of encircling cities to bring them down
"
(and with
AFP
)
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Afghanistan
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