What happened: Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan was captured by the Taliban. The security forces abandoned their post and some flee across the frontier.
Background: In the past few days, fierce fighting has been raging in the province of Kunduz, as the Afghan forces and the Taliban engaged in battles on the outskirts of Kunduz city. Hour-long fighting with the Taliban earlier today resulted in the capture of Shir khan port, the town, and the check posts with Tajikistan. However, an army official quoted that “We were forced to leave all check posts and some of our soldiers crossed the border into Tajikistan. By the morning, the Taliban fighters were everywhere, hundreds of them.” The Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, also gave a statement confirming the seizure by insurgents. He quoted that “Our Mujahideen are in full control of Shir Khan Bandar and all the border crossings with Tajikistan in Kunduz”. Click here to see more from ProperGaanda.