Taliban press on, take another Afghan provincial capital

The Taliban have taken another provincial capital in Afghanistan, pressing on with their relentless offensive as American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban on Monday took control of another provincial capital in Afghanistan, an official said, the insurgents pressing on with their relentless offensive as American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country. The militants have ramped up their push across much of Afghanistan in recent weeks, turning their guns on provincial capitals after taking district after district and large swaths of land in the mostly rural countryside even as they wage an assassination campaign targeting senior government officials in the capital, Kabul. The sweep comes despite condemnations by the international community and warnings from the United Nations that a military victory and takeover by the Taliban would not be recognized. The Taliban have also not heeded appeals to return to the negotiating table and continue long-stalled peace talks with the Afghan government. According to Mohammad Noor Rahmani, the council chief of northern Sar-e Pul province, the Taliban overran the provincial capital after over a week of resistance by the Afghan security forces, after which the city of Sar-e Pul collapsed. The government forces have now completely withdrawn from the province, he said.