With Control of Major Cities, the Taliban Closes In on Kabul

The Taliban’s rapidly expanding campaign will likely lead to the fall of Afghanistan’s remaining provincial capitals over the next two months, strengthening the group’s position in political talks with the Afghan government. The Taliban has swept through southern Afghanistan in recent days, capturing the country’s second-largest city of Kandahar on Aug. 12 before going on to seize neighboring provincial capitals. The militant group now reportedly controls 18 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals and is quickly closing on the Afghan capital of Kabul. ...