With 90 pecent of US troops out of Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to capture major cities of the war-torn nation. Today, the Taliban is racking up a series of huge victories. Kandahar City collapsed as after months of warfare, Afghan forces withdrew from the city.
Taliban took control of two major Afghan cities, the country's second and third-largest after Kabul, as well as a vital provincial capital, further putting pressure on the already fragile government.
So far, the Taliban have conquered 12 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals in a weeklong blitz, and the capture of Kandahar and Herat is their largest triumph yet.
How does capturing Kandahar makes situation worse?
Notably, Kandahar city is the country’s second largest city and its collapse is a big loss to the Afghan government in the fight against Taliban. The Taliban's conquest of Kandahar province is significant propaganda and strategic win as it is the Taliban's home.
Mullah Omar, the Taliban's founder and first emir, launched his takeover of the country from the provinces in the 1990s. From 1996 to 2001, Omar controlled his Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from Kandahar.
Now that Kandahar is under Taliban hands, more forces can be deployed in Lashkar Gah, Tarin Kot, and Qalat, all of which could fall at any time.
Al Qaeda has also used Kandahar as a base. Before the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Osama bin Laden and his followers ran a training camp and command centre at Tarnak Farms near Kandahar Air Field.
So far, Taliban has captured these provinces
The Taliban seized control of four provincial capitals, including Herat City; the country's fourth largest city- Ghazni on the way to Kabul, and Qala-I-Naw in Badghis province.
The provinces of Herat, Ghazni, and Badghis are now completely under Taliban control. Taliban now controls 11 provinces and 13 provincial capitals in total.
The Taliban hold seven of the nine provinces in the north, all four provinces in the west, and Ghazni and Kandahar in the south.
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Capture of Kandahar
Kandahar has been a major focus of the Taliban's southern push since President Joe Biden announced the US withdrawal in April. The Taliban launched an offensive on districts in Kandahar province in June, eventually advancing towards the provincial capital. Kabul retaliated by dispatching elite Commandos to shore up collapsing local forces and unleashing airstrikes.
Taliban infiltrated the city, raiding homes and clashing with Afghan soldiers in Kandahar's Seventh Police District in July. By July 16, a severe battle erupted in three of the capital's neighbourhoods as the Taliban had taken control of the neighbouring district of Dand which includes Kandahar's airport.
However, the airport remained under government control while the Afghan Air Force continued to target Taliban militants with airstrikes throughout July and August, with little effect.
At the start of August, the Taliban recruited additional fighters to continue their attack on Kandahar, effectively compelling the government to spend its most valuable resources and manpower to defending the vital city. With the support of airstrikes, the Commandos were able to repel several Taliban offensives towards the city's centre.
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On August 2, however, the Taliban began to focus their attention on the Kandahar airport. Taliban rocket attacks caused flight delays and hampered Afghan Air Force strikes.
Following a weekend that saw nearly 100 civilian casualties, the government advised all people to flee the city on August 5. The ANDSF defence position around Kandahar's prison fell on August 11, allowing the Taliban to free hundreds of prisoners.
The prison was an important defensive position in the city, and its loss indicated the city's collapse. At the same time, local leaders pressed Kandahar's governor and military commanders to accept the Taliban's ultimatum to flee the city in order to avoid more damage. On August 12, recordings emerged showing a large number of ANDSF forces fleeing the city as Taliban militants claimed control of the provincial capital.
What next?
The losses and clashes have tightened the grip of a resurgent Taliban which are estimated to control more than two-thirds of the country and are continuing to challenge government forces in several other provincial capitals.
On the battlefield, the Afghan government and security forces are being routed. The Taliban is redoubling its efforts to encircle Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. Fighting has escalated in the south and east.