LATEST: Taliban captured two major Afghan cities on Friday, according to the militant group and local officials, as vital hubs across the country collapsed and the U.S. rushed to evacuate its citizens.
The seizure of Kandahar in the south and Herat in the west mark the biggest prizes yet for the Taliban, who have taken a series of provincial capitals in aA Taliban spokesman told NBC News the group's fighters had taken both cities, capitals of their respective provinces by the same name.
In Herat, local member of parliament Masood Karokhai said the Taliban had taken control of the city after launching an offensive from various locations. He said the region's airport and military base outside the city were still controlled by government forces.The capture of Afghanistan's second- and third-largest cities carried symbolic as well as strategic importance.
One Herat resident, who did not want to be named because he feared retribution from the Taliban, said the insurgents were all over the city. “They just stare at you,” he wrote via WhatsApp on Friday. “Holding their guns.”
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