The loss of two of the country’s cultural capitals — Kandahar in the south, and Herat in the West — is a devastating blow to the government.
Two major cities in western and southern Afghanistan were on the verge of collapse to the Taliban on Thursday, as the insurgency’s race to seize control the country accelerated. With the Taliban’s sudden gains in Kandahar, in the country’s southern Pashtun heartland, and Herat, a vital cultural and economic hub, the insurgents appear to be nearing a complete military takeover. Only four major cities — including the capital, Kabul — remain under government control, and two of them are under siege by the Taliban. Both cities were heavily defended, in battles that raged for weeks. But increasingly, the Afghan security forces appear to be collapsing, with many soldiers and policemen reported to be deserting, or even changing sides in some places. Both cities offer resonant victories for the Taliban, which have swept across the country in a brutal military campaign since international troops began withdrawing in May. The insurgents now control over half of the country’s 400-odd districts. And with the fall of Kandahar and Herat, along with another provincial capital south of Kabul, Ghazni — all on Thursday — the insurgents will control 12 provincial capitals. Kandahar, in particular, is a huge prize for the Taliban. It is the economic hub of southern Afghanistan, and it was the birthplace of the insurgency in the 1990s and served as the militant’s capital during their five-year rule.
