Taliban seize province near capital, attack northern city
Kabul, Aug 14 (AP): The Taliban seized a province just south of Afghanistan's capital and launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday on a major city in the north defended by powerful former warlords, Afghan officials said.
The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war.
The Taliban captured all of Logar and detained its provincial officials, Hoda Ahmadi, a lawmaker from the province, said Saturday. She said the Taliban have reached the Char Asyab district, just 11 km (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.
The Taliban also attacked the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts, according to Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor. There was no immediate word on casualties.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani delivered a televised speech on Saturday, his first public appearance since the recent Taliban gains, in which he vowed not to give up the achievements of the 20 years since the US toppled the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks.
We have started consultations, inside the government with elders and political leaders, representatives of different levels of the community as well as our international allies," he said. "Soon the results will be shared with you, he added, without elaborating further.
The president had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday to rally the city's defences, meeting with several militia commanders, including Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammad Noor, who command thousands of fighters.
They remain allied with the government, but during previous rounds of fighting in Afghanistan, warlords have been known to switch sides for their own survival. Ismail Khan, a powerful former warlord who had tried to defend Herat, was captured by the Taliban when the insurgents seized the western city after two weeks of heavy fighting.
Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif expressed fear about the security breakdown.
The situation is dangerous outside of the city and inside the city," Mohibullah Khan said, adding that many residents are also struggling economically.
The security situation in the city is getting worse," said Kawa Basharat. "I want peace and stability. The fighting should be stopped.
The Taliban have made major advances in recent days, including capturing Herat and Kandahar, the country's second- and third-largest cities. They now control 18 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, leaving the Western-backed government in control of a smattering of provinces in the centre and east, as well as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.
The withdrawal of foreign forces and the swift retreat of Afghanistan's own troops - despite hundreds of billions of dollars in US aid over the years - has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or the country could be shattered by factional fighting, as it was after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.
The first Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived on Friday to help partially evacuate the US Embassy. The rest are set to arrive by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its August 31 withdrawal deadline.
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2nd bomb threat in 36 hours triggers security sweep at Kanpur Railway Station; no explosives found
Kanpur (PTI): A bomb threat for the second time within 36 hours triggered a massive security operation at Kanpur Central Railway Station on Friday evening, though extensive searches later found no suspicious object, police said.
An emergency call was received at the 112 control room around 7 pm, warning that the railway station would be blown up, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Satyajeet Gupta.
The alert prompted an immediate high-security response, with senior police and administrative officials, heavy police force, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), anti-sabotage check teams, and dog squads rushing to the station, he added.
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Police and security teams conducted intensive checks across all platforms, circulating areas, waiting halls, parcel offices, and parking zones to rule out any threat.
All suspicious items were examined, and passenger movement was closely monitored during the operation. No explosive material or objectionable object was found, the official said.
This was the second bomb scare at the station in less than 36 hours. A similar threat call had been made on Thursday at around 8.30 am, leading to a full-scale security check.
During the investigation into Friday's call, police traced the phone number to a man identified as Anil. During questioning, he told officers that his mobile phone had been missing since February 24, raising suspicion that the threat may have been issued using the lost device, Gupta told mediapersons.
Police are analysing call detail records and scanning CCTV camera footage to identify the actual caller, he said.
