The Taliban has captured an Afghan provincial capital after pleas for reinforcements by local security forces went unheard, in a major blow to the western-backed government.
Zaranj, in the south-western province of Nimroz, fell after just three hours of fighting becoming the first provincial capital to be taken by the insurgents who have intensified their nationwide offensive as foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.
Late on Friday, heavily armed Taliban fighters driving captured Humvees were patrolling the streets of Nimroz, one of the country’s main financial hubs, where Taliban commanders declared an overnight curfew.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... fghanistan