BRUSSELS, 11 August 2021, (TON): Taliban insurgents tightened their grip on captured Afghan territory as civilians hid in their homes, and a European Union official said the militants now control 65 per cent of the country after a string of gains as foreign forces pull out.

President Ashraf Ghani called on regional strongmen to support his government, while a UN official said advances made in human rights in the 20 years since the hardline Islamists were ousted from power were in danger of being erased.

In the capital Kabul, Ghani's aides said he was seeking help from regional militias he has squabbled with over the years to rally to the defence of his government. He had also appealed to civilians to defend Afghanistan's democratic fabric.

Residents said “in the town of Aibak, capital of Samangan province on the main road between the northern town of Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, Taliban fighters were consolidating their control, moving into government buildings.”

Most government security forces appeared to have withdrawn.

Sher Mohamed Abbas, a provincial tax officer said “the only way is self-imposed house arrest or to find a way to leave for Kabul.”