Taliban Seize Provincial Capitals in Afghanistan
By VOA News August 12, 2021
The Taliban's advance in Afghanistan took them closer to Kabul with the seizure of Ghazni, a city about 150 kilometers from the capital.
The following is a compilation of the provincial capitals the Taliban have captured or are threatening to seize. There are 34 provincial capitals in the country.
Provincial capitals captured by the Taliban
August 6 – Zaranj: The Taliban seize control of the city in Nimroz province in the south, the first provincial capital to fall after they escalated attacks on Afghan forces in May.
August 7 – Sheberghan: The Taliban say they have taken control of the northern province of Jawzjan.
August 8 – Sar-e Pul: The Islamic group captures Sar-e Pul, capital of the northern province of the same name. It is the first of three capitals to be seized by the group that day.
August 8 – Kunduz: The Taliban take control of the northern strategic city that serves as the entryway to the northern provinces and Central Asia.
August 8 – Taloqan: The northern capital of the Takhar province is seized by the Taliban that evening.
August 9 – Aybak: Taliban fighters overrun the capital of the northern province of Samangan.
August 10 – Pul-i-Khumri: Residents say the capital of the central province of Baghlan had fallen to the Taliban.
August 11 – Faizabad: A provincial council member says the Islamic group took control of the capital of the northeastern province of Badakhshan.
August 12 – Ghazni: A high-ranking security officer says the Taliban seized the city, which is the capital of the province of the same name.
August 12 – Qala-e-Naw: The Taliban said in a formal statement that they captured the capital of northwestern Badghis province.
August 12 — Herat: Afghanistan's third-largest city.
Provincial capitals contested as of August 12
Farah: Capital of the western province of Farah.
Lashkar Gah: Capital of Helmand in the south.
Kandahar: Capital of Kandahar province in the south.
Some information for this factbox came from Reuters and the Associated Press.
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