Afghanistan army chief removed after 9th province falls to Taliban

KABUL: The government of Afghanistan has Wednesday removed army chief General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai after Farah, Baghlan and Badakshan provinces fell the Taliban control yesterday, ARY News reported.

Major General Haibatullah Alizai who headed Special Operations Command has now been posted as the new chief.

With new advances by Taliban forces, nine of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals have been snapped from the defacto Afghan government.

According to a Wall Street Journal article yesterday,  “Afghanistan’s foreign minister called for international sanctions to be reimposed on Taliban leaders as the insurgent movement seized three more provinces, tightening their grip on the country and preparing for a push on Kabul”.

With Farah, Baghlan and Badakshan provinces falling, the Taliban rebellion has conquered nine of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals, including important cities such as Kunduz, since Friday. They have also strengthened their circle around the country’s biggest regional hubs of Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Taliban control 65% of Afghanistan, EU official says

Pertinent to note that Taliban have tightened their grip on captured Afghan territory on Tuesday as civilians hid in their homes, with an EU official saying the militants now controlled 65% of the country after a string of sudden gains as foreign forces pull out.

President Ashraf Ghani called on regional strongmen to support his government. In the capital Kabul, Ghani’s aides said he was seeking help from regional militias he has squabbled with over the years to rally to the defence of his government. He had also appealed to civilians to defend Afghanistan’s “democratic fabric”.