Taliban take strategic Afghan city of Ghazni on road to Kabul

Taliban fighters captured the strategic Afghan city of Ghazni on Thursday, taking them to within 150 km (90 miles) of Kabul following days of fierce clashes as the Islamist group ruled out sharing power with the government based there.

The speed and violence of the Taliban advance has sparked recriminations among many Afghans over U.S. President Joe Biden›s decision to withdraw U.S. troops and leave the Afghan government to fight alone. The gateways to the capital have been choked with people fleeing violence elsewhere in the country this week, a Western security source said. 

With the last of the U.S.-led international forces set to leave by the end of the month and end the United States’ longest war, the Taliban are now in control of about two-thirds of the country. U.S. intelligence suggests they could take the capital within  90 days.

Al Jazeera reported a government source saying it had offered the Taliban a share in power, as long as the violence comes to a halt. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said he was unaware of any such offer but ruled out sharing power with a government whose authority the group did not acknowledge.

Ghazni, which lies 150 km (95 miles) southwest of Kabul on the ancient route between the capital and the second city of Kandahar, was the ninth provincial capital the Taliban have seized in a week.

The militants on Thursday occupied Ghazni’s government agency headquarters after heavy clashes, a security official said.

Fighting has also been intense in Kandahar. The city hospital had received scores of bodies of members of the armed forces and some wounded Taliban, a doctor said late on Wednesday. The Taliban said they had seized airports outside the cities of Kunduz and Sheberghan in the north and Farah in the west, making it even more difficult to supply beleaguered  
government forces.
KABUL, Aug 12 (Reuters)