Afghan President addresses nation amid Taliban blitz, says nation in severe hazard of instability

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday stated the nation is in severe hazard of instability, whereas including that he won’t quit the “achievements” of the final 20 years. In a short televised handle on Saturday, Ashraf Ghani stated he was consulting with native leaders and worldwide companions on the state of affairs within the nation.

The Afghan President additionally added that remobilisation of the armed forces was the highest precedence, even because the Taliban seized a province south of Afghanistan’s capital and launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday.LONG READ | Who are the Taliban? “As your president, my focus is on preventing further instability, violence and displacement of my people,” Ghani stated within the temporary televised handle.Contrary to experiences, the Afghan President didn’t announce or give any hints concerning his resignation, which has been one of many calls for of the Taliban.Ashraf Ghani’s final public look was on Wednesday within the northern metropolis of Mazar-e-Sharif, the place the insurgents launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday.The Taliban have captured a lot of northern, western and southern Afghanistan, and at the moment are battling authorities forces simply 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.The lightning advance comes lower than three weeks earlier than the US is ready to withdraw its final forces after practically 20 years of battle.Ashraf Ghani and different prime officers within the Western-backed authorities have been largely silent on the insurgents’ latest features.What Is The Latest From Afghanistan?The Taliban, in the meantime, pushed nearer to Kabul on Saturday, capturing a key metropolis close to Afghanistan’s capital as American troops flew in to assist evacuate embassy personnel and different civilians.Continuing a fast advance, the insurgents took Pul-e-Alam, round 70 km (40 miles) from Kabul and the capital of Logar province, an area provincial council member stated. The Taliban didn’t face a lot resistance, he informed Reuters on situation of anonymity.The achieve of town, a key staging publish for a possible assault on Kabul, comes a day after the insurgents took the nation’s second- and third-biggest cities.The insurgents have captured a lot of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive lower than three weeks earlier than the United States is ready to withdraw its final troops, elevating fears of a full militant takeover or one other Afghan civil battle.Several nations are sending troops as resistance from Afghan authorities forces crumbles and fears develop that an assault on Kabul might be simply days away.An Afghan authorities official confirmed on Friday that Kandahar, the financial hub of the south, was underneath Taliban management as US-led worldwide forces full their withdrawal after 20 years of battle.Herat within the west, close to the border with Iran, additionally fell to the hardline Islamist group. Kandahar’s loss was a heavy blow to the federal government.Also Read | Taliban seize Logar province close to Kabul, launch multi-pronged assault on Mazar-e-SharifAlso Read | Taliban close to Kabul, seize 18 of 34 provinces as Afghan govt says ‘we stand agency’