Kahmard and Sayghan districts of the central Bamyan province have fallen to the Taliban insurgents, local sources say.
Abdul Ahmad Benawa, deputy head of Bamyan Provincial Council, told Kabul Now the insurgents overran Kahmard yesterday and today they have taken control over Sayghan district building.
Following government forces’ retreated from Kahmard, the Taliban insurgents broke into the district without firing a bullet, according to Mr. Benawa. He said the insurgents took control over Sayghan after several hours of clashes erupted between the government forces and Taliban fighters.
Homayon Ilkhani, the spokesperson for Bamyan police, confirmed the fall of these two districts, saying the security and defense forces have made a “tactical retreat.”
As a move to tighten security of the province, the central government has reappointed Tahir Zuhair as the governor of Bamyan. Zuhair has served as governor of Bamyan and he is seen as the governor who enjoys a good relationship with locals in Bamyan.
A predominantly Hazara-dominated province, Bamyan until now has been the safest province in Afghanistan. During their rule, the Taliban regime dynamited the Buddhas of Bamyan, the two ancient cultural heritages date to pre-Islamic civilization in the region.
