As Taliban fighters completed their blitz across northeast Afghanistan, taking eight provinces, US intelligence agencies have warned that they could take capital kabul in 30 days. The assessment was based on Taliban’s rapid gains as US-led foreign forces leave, reports Reuters quoting US defence officials.

All entry points to Kabul were jammed as people fled from trouble-torn provinces to the relatively safe capital. According to estimates, the Taliban fighters have already taken 65% of the country and are making gains in other provinces.

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The country’s central government is under immense pressure to put up a fight and stop the advancing Taliban. Shaken by the fall of Faizabad, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani rushed to Balkh province, already surrounded by Taliban-held territory, to seek help from warlords. He also replaced his army chief of staff. The Taliban takeover of the capitals of Badakhshan, Baghlan and Farah provinces put increasing pressure on the government.

Many countries, including India, have already issued advisories for its citizens to plan leaving the country. India even arranged a special  flights to evacuate its citizens from Mazar-e-Sharif.

That Taliban, who want to defeat the US-backed government and reimpose strict Islamic law, would pose problems when US troops left was known but the speed with which they are advancing has shocked many. 

The US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the attacks were against the spirit of a 2020 agreement. The Taliban committed to talks on a peace accord that would lead to a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” Price said on Wednesday. “All indications at least suggest the Taliban are instead pursuing a battlefield victory.”

Given the successes fro Taliban, a big question mark hangs over whether they would ever rejoin long-stalled peace talks in Qatar aimed at moving Afghanistan toward an inclusive interim administration as the West hoped. Instead, the Taliban could come to power by force — or the country could splinter into factional fighting like it did after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, adds AP.