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KABUL: The Taliban have purportedly overrun ten districts- most of them in northern Badakhshan- as severe clashes ensuing between the security forces and Taliban across the country.
According to unnamed sources quoted by TOLONews, the militants took control of Kishm, Darayim, Tishkan, Tagab, Wardooj, Shahr-e-Bozorg, Raghistan, Jorm and Yaftal district of northern Badakhshan province. The sources claimed that Kalafgan and Farkhar district of Takhar also collapsed to the insurgents. The source reported of fall of Shah Wali Koot district of southern Kandahar province.
Taliban captured two other districts of northern Badakhshan provinceon Saturday after the fall of eight districts in the past 24 hours, sources said on Saturday.
Jurm District mayor, Abdul Naseer Bahadur confirmed the collapse of Jurm district to the insurgents, saying that the security forces retreated on Saturday afternoon from the district.
An government officials in Raghistan district, Maulavi Hayatullah said that the Taliban captured the district following fierce clashes.
A lawmaker from Badakhshan province Zabihulla Atiq said that the Taliban captured Raghistan district of the province after intensive clashes.
He said that 11 security force members were killed, 6 others wounded and 25 of them were taken hostage.
He said that the security forces resisted the Taliban attack but suffered huge causalities as reinforcements did not reach them on time.
He informed that Argo and Baharak districts of the province would fall to the Taliban if government did not pay attention to these districts.
Earlier, a source, talking on condition of anonymity, said that after the fall of some areas of PD 8 of Faizabad, the capital city of the province, Taliban captured Tashkan, Tagab, Shahri Buzurg, Darayim, Keshem, Warduj and Yaftal districts centers on Friday night.
Government has said nothing regarding the collapse of the districts but hinted to launch to operations to recapture the districts. Some reports say that the Taliban militants took control of these districts without any battle.
Taliban spokesman on his twitter page on Saturday claimed that the group fighters captured Shahri Buzurg, Darayim, Keshem, Warduj and Yaftal districts centers of Badakhshan.
On the other hand, an official who did not want to be named, said that the Taliban captured Kalafgan district of northern Takhar province.
As the U.S. and NATO forces are almost done with exiting troops, the Taliban are making a rapid territorial gain across the country.
Meanwhile, the U.S. officials and as well as regional countries have warned the group for several times that the international community would not welcome the Taliban’s return on power by force.
