Taliban captures provincial capital in western Afghanistan: reports

Kabul (Afghanistan) Aug 7: Taliban militants on Friday captured Zaranj city, capital of Afghanistan's western Nimroz
province, a local TV channel reported.
The militants took control of the city after brief clashes as the Afghan security forces retreated from the city to two
neighboring suburban districts, reported local TV channel Tolo News.
Zaranj, the smallest Afghan provincial capital, was the first Afghan city seized by Taliban militants, who have been
waging heavy fighting to capture Afghan cities since the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in early May.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, wrote on his social media that the militants took control of all
government offices and a provincial prison in Zaranj on Friday afternoon.
The remote Nimroz province has five districts, out of which the government security forces still control two of them,
according to local sources.
Meanwhile, Rohulla Ahmadzai, spokesperson of Afghan Ministry of Defense, told local media that Afghan security
forces would soon launch a counter-offensive to evict the militants from Zaranj.
Earlier on Friday, the Afghan government security forces backed by local public uprising forces repelled Taliban
militants from two cities of Lashkar Gah and Shiberghan in northern and southern Afghan regions while the militants
were trying to take control over the said cities.
On Thursday night, scores of Zaranj residents, including women and children, were displaced and fled to Iran border
after sporadic clashes erupted on the outskirts of the city.
At least 30 Afghan soldiers were killed or wounded after Taliban militants captured Kang district in Nimroz on
Wednesday night before taking control of the remote district.
Source: Xinhua