The Afghanistan
government replaced its army chief on Wednesday as the Taliban continue its
advance taking control over vast parts of the country. Afghanistan has
appointed General Hibatullah Alizai as the chief of army replacing General Wali
Mohammed Ahmadzai. This is the third time Afghanistan has changed its army chief
within a year. Outgoing army chief General Ali Mohammed Ahmadzai was appointed
only in July this year.

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As of
Thursday morning, the Taliban have seized control over 10 of the 34 provincial
capitals of Afghanistan. Taliban claimed that they have taken over the
strategically important city of Ghazni which is on the road to national capital
Kabul.

Earlier,
President Ashraf Ghani flew to the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a traditional
Taliban bastion, to try to rally government forces.

The new
army chief, General Hibatullah Alizai, will have to counter escalating violence
across the country in the face of the Taliban offensive. US and other foreign troops
in Afghanistan have either withdrawn or are preparing to withdraw.

According
to US intelligence agencies, Taliban may take Kabul within 30 days. Entry
points to Kabul are jammed as people flee from trouble-torn provinces to the
relatively safe capital. Taliban insurgents have taken over 65% of the country
and continue to make gains.  

On
Wednesday, President Ghani held crisis talks in Mazar-i-Sharif with ethnic
Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum and prominent Tajik leader Atta Mohammad Noor
about defending the city in the face of a Taliban onslaught.

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President Ashraf
Ghani’s move to hold discussions with regional strongmen indicated his
desperation as he had spent years to sideline the warlords in an attempt to
boost the Afghan National Army. Earlier this week, the president also agreed to
arm pro-government militia.

In Kunduz,
Taliban’s most recent and most strategically significant gain, Afghan soldiers
who had retreated to the airport have now surrendered.