Taliban militants have seized Pul-e-Alam city, the provincial capital of Logar province, located 60 km south of Kabul, as the insurgents continue their fight against government forces, a local official said on Saturday.
The official confirmed the fall of the city, but did not provide any further details, reports Xinhua news agency.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his Twitter account “Abdul Qayum Rahimi, the governor for Logar province has joined the Mujahidin” and the city of Pul-e-Alam is in control of the insurgent group.
With the capture of Pul-e-Alam, the number of provincial capitals seized by the Taliban militants has reportedly reached 18, including the cities of Herat, Kandahar and Ghazni.
The Afghan government is yet to comment on the development.
Earlier in the day, the Taliban claimed to have captured two more provincial capitals of Tirin Kot (Uruzgan) and Firoz Koah (Ghor).
Also on Saturday, the militants captured Warsaj district, the last bastion of the Afghan government in Takhar province.
The group is now continuing its fight to overrun Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, and Maimana of Farah province.
Taliban warns India against military moves in Afghanistan
The Taliban has warned India against military moves in Afghanistan, pointing to the fate of other military powers.
“If they (India) come to Afghanistan militarily and have their presence, I think that will not be good for them. They’ve seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries, so it is an open book for them,” Taliban spokesperson Muhammed Suhail Shaheen said as per media reports.
He also denied that the Taliban has ties with other terror groups based in Pakistan.
“They are not based on ground realities but on basis of their certain policies towards us, on the basis of politically motivated goals,” he added.
The Taliban has assured embassies and staff that there is no danger from their side.
The Taliban spokesperson said that it follows a general policy of not allowing anyone to use Afghan soil against any country including the neighbouring nations.
On reports of Indian officials meeting the Taliban in Doha, the spokesperson said that he could not confirm the development.
Shaheen said the Taliban appreciates India for helping the Afghan people, while also praising reconstruction activities.
“We appreciate everything that has been done for people of Afghanistan like dams, national and infrastructure projects and anything that’s for Afghanistan’s development, reconstruction and economic prosperity for people,” he added.
