KABUL, 12 August 2021, (TON): A local minister told media “the Taliban have captured the city of Faizabad in northern Afghanistan, the ninth provincial capital to fall to the insurgents in less than a week.”

Lawmaker Zabihullah Attiq said "late last night, the security forces who had been fighting the Taliban for several days came under intense pressure. The Taliban have captured the city now. Both sides have also suffered heavy losses."

Faizabad has become the ninth provincial capital after Aybak, Qala-e-Nau, Lashkargah, Zaranj, Sheberghan, Kunduz, Taluqan and Sar-e-Pul to be partly or partially overrun by the Taliban.

After taking over nearly 200 rural districts last month, the Taliban launched assaults on major cities, marching on Herat, Kandahar, Taluqan and Lashkargah, causing panic and anxiety among millions of civilians.

The Taliban could isolate Kabul in 30 days and potentially take it over in 90 days, a US defence official said, citing a US intelligence assessment.

Taliban fighters have taken control of ninth provincial capitals in six days, a pace that has surprised US officials.

Taliban forces now control 65 per cent of Afghanistan and have taken or threaten to take 11 provincial capitals, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.