Taleban, "Control 90% of Afghan Border Area"... Pressure on Capital Kabul

US Military Also Says "Taliban Controls More Than Half of Afghanistan"
Peace Talks with Afghan Government Resumed...May Demand Surrender

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Afghan armed rebel group, the Taliban, announced that they have seized control of over 90% of Afghanistan's entire borders, leading to chaos as Afghan refugees flock to neighboring countries. The U.S. military also reported that the Taliban currently controls more than half of Afghanistan, fueling predictions that the Taliban will soon dominate the entire country.

On the 22nd (local time), Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesperson, told Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, "We have taken control of 90% of Afghanistan's entire borders," adding, "We have full control over the borders with Turkmenistan, Iran, and Pakistan, as well as the border with Tajikistan, and except for some sections, we also fully control the border with Uzbekistan."

According to foreign media including the Associated Press, the U.S. military stated that the Taliban has already occupied more than half of Afghanistan's approximately 420 districts, specifically 210 districts. Furthermore, the Taliban is intensifying offensive pressure around 34 key strongholds in the remaining areas, attempting to isolate major Afghan cities including the capital Kabul.

With the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan nearly complete, the Taliban has first taken control of most rural areas and small towns within Afghanistan, and is currently conducting siege offensives on regional central cities. Concerns that the Afghan government forces will soon collapse have made the local situation extremely unstable, and many residents are reported to have fled to neighboring countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to escape the turmoil.

While intensifying their offensive, the Taliban has also resumed peace negotiations with the Afghan government. The two sides met in Qatar the previous day and agreed to accelerate talks aimed at stabilizing the Afghan situation. However, with the U.S. military expected to complete its withdrawal by the end of this month, there is also speculation that the Taliban may completely surround Kabul and demand surrender.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.