In the latest series of districts’ fall to the Taliban, the militants have overrun Sancharak and Gusfandi districts of Sar-e-Pul province since Monday, June 14, a local official confirmed. With the newly fallen districts, the Taliban now control five districts out of Sar-e-Pul’s seven districts.
Mohammad Noor Rahmani, chief of Sar-e-Pul Provincial Council, confirmed to Kabul Now that the Taliban militants took control of Sancharak district yesterday, around 12:00 PM, and overran Gusfandi district last night, June 14.
According to the local official, the government forces now control only the province’s Balkhab district and the provincial center, Sar-e-Pul city.
A total of four districts have fallen to the Taliban in the last five days.
The militant group controlled its Kohistanat district since few years ago.
Located in north part of the country, Sar-e-Pul is one of the most insecure provinces where the Taliban control larger part of the province than the government forces.
The rapid fall of the districts into the hands of the Taliban have raised suspicions among ordinary Afghans expressing doubt that the government seems to leave these districts as part of a hidden agenda to the militant group.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chief of the High Council for National Reconciliation, has reacted to the suspicions saying that the consecutive fall of the districts is not pre-planned or part of an agenda. There are different factors caused security forces to leave some districts and territories, he said during a meeting in held today in Kabul.
In the meantime, Rahmatullah Andar, spokesperson for the National Security Council, has described the districts’ fall as part of the Taliban’s propaganda aimed at weakening the people’s morale. Moreover, he has claimed that the Afghan defense and security forces have retaken two districts only in past 24 hours.
He, however, did not mention the newly retaken districts.
The Ministry of Defense announced yesterday, Monday 14, that the Afghan forces have reclaimed Khanabad district of Kunduz after the district shortly fell into the Taliban’s control.
With the two districts fallen in Sar-e-Pul, the total number of districts fallen to the Taliban since May 01, beginning of foreign troop withdrawal, across the country mounts to 23.
The districts fallen to the militant group are namely Nirkh and Jalrez in Maidan Wardak, Burka in Baghlan, Dawlat Shah in Laghman, Gizab in Urozgan, Deh Yak and Jaghatu in Ghazni, Shinkai in Zabul, Du Ab and Mandol in Nooristan, Dawlat Abad and Qaisar in Faryab, Shahrak, Tulak, and Saghar in Ghor, Ishkamish in Takhar, Zari in Balkh province, Sancharak, Gusfandi, Sozma Qala and Sayyad in Sar-e-Pul, Aliabad in Kunduz, and Lash wa Juwayn district in Farah.
