Civilians told to evacuate besieged city of Lashkar Gah as Afghan violence escalates

Residents of a besieged Afghan city were urged to evacuate Tuesday as the army prepared a major offensive against Taliban insurgents after three days of heavy fighting.

The Taliban have seized control of much of rural Afghanistan since foreign forces began the last stage of their withdrawal in early May, but are now focused on capturing provincial capitals, where they are meeting stiffer resistance. Fighting is raging in Lashkar Gah, the capital of southern Helmand province, with the United Nations saying at least 40 civilians had been killed in the last 24 hours.