Taliban Capture Strategic City as Biden Speeds Troop Deployment to Afghanistan

The collapse of Mazar-i-Sharif signaled the complete loss of Afghanistan’s north as the insurgents appeared on the verge of a full military takeover.

WASHINGTON — With the Afghan government collapsing to a surging Taliban, President Biden sought to project an image of resolve on Saturday, speeding the deployment of an additional 1,000 troops to Afghanistan as he announced a series of steps that he said would protect American interests. The announcement came hours after the Taliban seized the last major city in northern Afghanistan, Mazar-i-Sharif, marking the complete loss of the country’s north as they appeared on the verge of a full military takeover. A day earlier, two key cities in southern and western Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. The insurgents now effectively control the southern, western and northern regions of the country — just about encircling the country’s capital, Kabul, as they press on in their rapid military offensive. The Taliban blitz began in May, but the insurgents have managed to capture more than half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals in over a week.