Illustrative image.
On July 9, Taliban fighters captured the northwestern Afghan town of Torghundi and the nearby border crossing with Turkmenistan from government forces.
Afghan officials acknowledged the loss of the Torghundi border crossing. A number of government service members who were situated at the crossing surrendered and handed over their weapons to the Taliban.
📹 | #Taliban forces take control of Torghundi city in #Afghanistan‘s Herat – a key town at the border with Turkmenistan.pic.twitter.com/44Q0YLQuG5
— EHA News (@eha_news) July 9, 2021
#Herat #Rabat_Sangi
Some soldiers of #Torghundi port surrendered to #Mujahidin with weapons and ammunition:#LifeUnderControlOfTaliban pic.twitter.com/i0WCDgBrOf— Zubair ahmad.Kandahari (@zubairahmadka) July 9, 2021
#Weapons seized by the #Taliban from the Torghundi border crossing in Herat province. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/vQtOkHwHvN
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) July 10, 2021
According to Afghan sources, government forces are now attempting to recapture the crossing, which is one of two trade gateways into Turkmenistan.
Earlier on the same day, Taliban fighters captured the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran, which is also located in the northwestern province of Heart.
Taliban officials claim that their fighters have taken control of 85% of territory in Afghanistan. However, media sources say that the group controls only the third of all 421 districts and district centers in the country.
The US decision to pull its troops out from Afghanistan before September 11 encouraged the Taliban to step up its attacks against government forces throughout the country. With no intra-Afghan peace agreement on sight, the country appears to be heading to a lengthy civil war.
