The Taliban announced today, Monday, that it "will advance militarily toward the capital Kabul" after seizing other areas of the country. The group confirmed that it has made progress against government forces in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province and the largest city in northern Afghanistan. The Taliban also rejected a U.S. proposal to form a transitional government in Afghanistan.
This comes as the Taliban continues its pressure and advance in northern Afghanistan, where it took control of the sixth provincial capital today, while the Afghan army claims to have achieved successes in the south. The Deputy Governor of Samangan announced that Taliban fighters seized Aybak, the capital of the province located about 100 kilometers southwest of Kunduz.
The group appears to have no intention of slowing down its rapid advance in the north, stating that they attacked Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh Province. However, residents and officials reported that they had not yet reached it. Police in Balkh Province said the closest location that experienced fighting is at least 30 kilometers from Mazar-i-Sharif, accusing the Taliban of using "propaganda to terrorize the population."
Mazar-i-Sharif is a historical city and a commercial crossroads, once a pillar for the government to control northern Afghanistan. Its fall would be a severe blow to the authorities. The Taliban seized Kunduz after fierce fighting on Sunday, just hours after having besieged it for several weeks, then took control of Sar-e Pol and Taloqan, the capitals of the two provinces situated to the south and east of Kunduz.
The Taliban now controls six of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals after taking Sherberghan on Saturday, about 50 kilometers north of Sar-e Pol, and Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz Province, on Friday, which is located in the far southwest of the country, bordering Iran. The inability of the authorities in Kabul to control the north could be crucial for the government's chances of survival, as northern Afghanistan has long been considered a bastion of opposition against the Taliban; it was where the group faced the strongest resistance when they seized power in the 1990s.
In another context, a NATO official stated today that the alliance's withdrawal from Afghanistan is ongoing as Taliban fighters seized the sixth provincial capital in the war-torn country. The official told Reuters: "The NATO mission is ongoing, and our withdrawal is in progress." They added, "There is no military solution to the conflict, and the Taliban must understand that the international community will never recognize them if they reject the political process and attempt to seize the country by force. They must stop their attacks and engage in good faith in peace talks."
