After Herat, Taliban captures Afghanistan’s second-largest city Kandahar: Reports

The Taliban captured Afghanistan’s second-largest city Kandahar on Thursday, further strengthing their foothold in the country as troops of the United States near completion of the withdrawal, according to US media reports.

Earlier on Thursday, the militant organisation also took over the third-largest city after the national capital Kabul of Afghanistan, Herat. The move is likely to mount direct pressure on the country’s government, which has been struggling with maintaining stability.

After taking over the cities of Herat and Kandahar, the Taliban now presides over a dozen provincial capitals of Afghanistan. 34 provincial capitals exist in the country.

While Kabul itself isn’t directly under threat yet, the losses and the battles elsewhere further tighten the grip of a resurgent Taliban, who are estimated to now hold over two-thirds of the country and continue to press their offensive, according to reports from the Associated Press.

As instability is introduced in Afghanistan’s political environment, western powers scramble to ensure the safety of their nationals living in the Asian country. The United States, on Thursday, announced that it will be deploying 3,000 of its troops to Afghanistan to help rescue some people who work in the US embassy located in Afghanistan.

Similarly, United Kingdom said it is sending 600 troops over to Afghanistan, on a short-term basis, to support the citizens of Britain escape the country that is on the edge of turmoil.

The latest United States military intelligence assessment suggests Kabul could come under insurgent pressure within 30 days and that, if current trends hold, the Taliban could gain full control of the country within a few months. The Afghan government may eventually be forced to pull back to defend the capital and just a few other cities in the coming days if the Taliban keep up their momentum, according to reports from the Associated Press.