Political assassinations and the fall of major Afghan cities by force

Mohamed Yosry

Less than a week has passed since the Taliban moved from controlling the rural and desert areas to entering the main cities, targeting the airport of the Afghan capital, Kabul, as well as fierce clashes with government forces in the city of Lashkargah in Helmand District. Within 24 hours the extremist movement announced control of two capitals of two provinces, marking the start of the second phase, which is the control of the major cities.

Control of Sheberghan and Zaranj

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that on the afternoon of Saturday, August 7, the movement’s fighters managed to take control of the city of Sheberghan in the northern province of Jowzjan, tweeting, “The district center, police headquarters and all facilities, as well as the forest infantry brigade near the city, are under the full control of the Taliban.”

This was confirmed by Jowzjan Deputy Governor Abdul Qader Malia, who explained the retreat of the government forces, while Taliban leaders indicated that the movement did not face any resistance from the government forces.

The Taliban had announced 24 hours before the capture of Sheberghan that its fighters had managed to control the movement’s first capital of an Afghan province since the intensification of its attacks, coinciding with the last stages of the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, having captured the city of Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz province in the west of the country, which was confirmed by Rohullah Gul Khairzad, the province’s deputy governor.

Falling without a fight

What is remarkable about the fall of the first two major cities into the hands of the Taliban is that the operations took place without a fight, which indicates the presence of treasonous movements in the ranks of the Afghan government forces. This was confirmed by many recent statements issued by the movement that indicate the defection of many soldiers in the official security services to join the fight in the ranks of the movement. These defections depend on the loyalties of some Pashtun elements in the Afghan army, who make up 40% of the Afghan population and constitute 90% of the movement’s elements.

Although the two cities fell so easily to the hands of the movement, they are witnessing violent clashes with government forces in the vicinity of other cities, such as the city of Lashkargah in Helmand District, one of the most important strongholds of the Taliban, although the movement has not been able to control the city so far.

Supply lines

The Taliban began in May a tactical plan to control the desert, rural and mountainous areas, which make up vast areas of the country. In recent weeks, however, it has also managed to control a large number of main roads and vital crossings, which facilitates the issue of controlling the main cities and providing supply lines necessary for its military operations, while at the same time blocking roads to government forces.

Bloody stage

The Taliban began its second phase to take control of major cities in a more bloody way, by implementing its threats to target senior government officials, which began with an attempt to assassinate acting Afghan Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi in an area considered one of the most secured areas in Kabul on Tuesday, August 3, thus declaring that it is able to control major cities and that its contentment during the last period in rural and desert areas was only a tactical stage and not an inability to control cities.

In a qualitative shift, the movement announced on Friday, August 6, the assassination of Dawa Khan Minapal, head of the media center of the Afghan government, near a mosque in Kabul, hours before an upcoming meeting of the UN Security Council in New York to discuss the conflict in Afghanistan.

International reactions

International reactions began to denounce the Taliban’s escalation in the past few days, as it became clear that whenever the movement’s sphere of influence expands, it leaves the negotiating table and replaces it with force. Expectations indicate that the movement will succeed in overthrowing the current regime by force, although force will cause its government not to be recognized due to the violation of peace agreement.

The reactions began from the White House, which announced in a statement on Saturday, August 7, that the movement’s recent actions would not help it gain international legitimacy. “They don’t have to stay that way,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “They can choose to channel this energy into the peace process as they do their military campaign.”