Taliban fighters have taken control of Kandahar, Afghanistan‘s second-largest city, according to CNN, quoting Afghan parliamentarian Gul Ahmed Kamin.
The Taliban said in a statement on Friday (August 13th) that it had taken control of the Kandahar governor’s office, police headquarters and operations centers across the city.
“We have seized hundreds of weapons, ammunition and large quantities of ammunition,” the statement said.
Kamin, an Afghan lawmaker, said he and several others had taken refuge at a military base near Kandahar International Airport. From here they will be flown to Kabul.
“Most of the government troops have surrendered, and the rest have fled,” Kamin said.
Earlier, he told CNN that Taliban fighters had broken through the front line of Afghan forces, now they are engaged in isolated clashes with government forces inside the city.
An hour later, he admitted to taking control of the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Kandahar, located at the junction of three major highways, is of great strategic importance. For this reason, Kandahar was used as one of the main bases for US military operations. The Taliban’s biggest victory so far came with the capture of Kandahar.
