The group’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Friday their overnight offensives had fully captured five major provincial capitals in Afghanistan, including southern Kandahar, western Herat, northeastern Qahar-e-Naw, southern Lashkar Gah, and southeastern Ghazni.

Meanwhile, the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Ghani to inform him that Washington was withdrawing personnel from its embassy in Kabul amid the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan.

The ongoing military offensive by the Taliban against the government of Afghanistan and its allies began on 1 May 2021, simultaneous with the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

In the early stage of the offensive, the Taliban made significant advances in the countryside, increasing the number of districts it controls from 73 to 223.

Starting on 6 August, the Taliban captured ten of Afghanistan's thirty-four provincial capitals, including Kunduz, and by Tuesday, the Taliban controlled 65% of the country.

The offensive is noted for the rapid territorial gains of the Taliban and its domestic and international ramifications.

On Tuesday, U.S. officials estimated that the Afghan capital, Kabul, could fall to the Taliban within 30 to 90 days. (ILKHA)