In Herat, ex-Mujahideen commander leads efforts to resist Taliban

In western Afghanistan’s biggest city, Taliban gains are causing economic distress and forcing people to pick up arms.

Herat, Afghanistan – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani spent the day before Eid trying to reassure his people, as government forces were battling the Taliban for control of districts across the country. Ghani was seen walking on the streets of the western city of Herat on Monday, as the Taliban armed group ran a ferocious campaign to take as many territories as they could amid a vacuum created by the withdrawal of American forces. He approached eager passersby, held babies and even marvelled at the wares of a local sweet shop. His brief trip through the streets of Herat came at a particularly important time for the people in the largest city in western Afghanistan.