Taliban continued their offensive in Afghanistan taking over a ninth provincial capital on Wednesday as government forces fought off attacks on Maimana in the northern Faryab province and Tirinkot in the central Uruzgan province. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has replaced its army chief as Taliban militants continue to make rapid advances. Insurgents have taken control of nine of the country's 34 provincial capitals. On Thursday the Taliban said they had taken the strategically important Ghazni city, which is on the road to the national capital Kabul. The removal of the country's army chief, Gen. Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, was confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday. He had only been in the post since June. His successor will have to deal with escalating violence across the country, as the Taliban continue their offensive. US and other foreign troops have all but withdrawn following 20 years of military operations. According to local Afghan media Tolo news, the Taliban seized three more Afghan provincial capitals and Kunduz airport, which is also the center of the 217 Pamir Army Corps. The Taliban group captured Faizabad city of northern Badakhshan province and provincial capitals of Farah, Pul-e-Khumri, Sar-e-Pul, Sheberghan, Aybak, Kunduz, Taluqan and Zaranj. With the collapse of Faizabad, a city with an estimated population of over 78,000, the Taliban now control nine provincial capitals of the country's 34 provinces. Provincial councilor of Badakhshan Ahmad Jawid Mujadidi in a statement to the media confirmed that Taliban rebels captured Faizabad city after more than a week of fighting. The central Uruzgan Governor Mohammad Omar told the media that Taliban's attack on the provincial capital has been thwarted and some insurgents trapped. Moreover, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flew to the besieged northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif to express support of Afghan security forces, a day after Afghan forces pushed back a Taliban offensive on Mazar-i-Sharif city and retook Nahr-e-Shahi district of northern Balkh province. According to a statement released by the Afghan Presidential Palace, he plans to check the general security in the northern zone. "President Ghani is scheduled to meet local government and security officials, political and other group leaders, tribal elders and influential people," said the presidential office. President Ghani held crisis talks in Mazar-i-Sharif with ethnic Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum and prominent ethnic Tajik leader Atta Mohammad Noor about defending the city. Dostum, a veteran commander, was quoted as saying: "The Taliban have come to the north several times but they were always trapped." In another development, India has appealed to all its nationals living in and around Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif to leave the country. The Indian government's move comes at a time when Taliban continues to regain control across the country. Government data suggests that around 1,500 Indians are currently living in Afghanistan. Just last month, India had evacuated some 50 diplomats and security personnel from its consulate in Kandahar amid intense fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban around that city. A Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photojournalist, Danish Siddiqui, was also killed in clashes in that province. — Agencies
