TALIBAN CLAIM HIGH-RANKING OFFICIALS, THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS FROM HERAT JOIN THEIR RANKS

Fri 13 August 2021:

On Friday, the Taliban released a statement saying that key officials from the western Afghan province of Herat had joined the Islamist Movement.

The Taliban armed group has captured the provincial capitals, Qalat, Terenkot, Pul-e Alam, Feruz Koh, Qala-e Naw and Lashkar Gah, hours after capturing Herat and Kandahar cities.

It so far has control over 18 provincial capitals across Afghanistan.

The Taliban announced on Twitter that the governor of Herat, the police chief, the deputy minister of interior for security, the commander of the 207 Corps, “thousands of soldiers and supporters,” and former Mujahideen leader Ismail Khan have all joined their ranks.

The TOLOnews broadcaster also reported, citing sources, that everyone, including Khan, surrendered to the militants.

Khan, the most prominent militia commander and believed to be in his 70s, together with the provincial governor and security officials, were handed over to the Taliban under an agreement, Hashimi tells Reuters news agency. He has no details of the deal.

Photos and videos showing the eminent commander apparently in the hands of the fighters were widely shared on social media although they could not immediately be verified.

Afghan commander Ismail Khan captured as Taliban seize Herat https://t.co/s4o7taBleT pic.twitter.com/3coHqvv0kr

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 13, 2021

In early August, the Taliban captured one of the 34 Afghan provinces for the first time since 2016.

Soon, they claimed to have seized more than ten provinces. On Thursday, the militants reportedly established control over Kandahar, the second-biggest city in the country. As of Friday, 18 provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban.

Afghanistan is seeing a spike in violence now as the Taliban have stepped up their offensive after international troops started a gradual withdrawal from the country, scheduled to be completed by September 11. The pullout was stipulated in the agreement the Taliban and the United States signed in Doha in February 2020.

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