The onslaught represents a stunning collapse of Afghan forces and renews questions about where the over $830 billion spent by the U.S. Defense Department on fighting, training those troops, and reconstruction efforts went — especially as Taliban fighters ride on American-made Humvees and pickup trucks with M-16s slung across their shoulders.
In Herat, Taliban fighters rushed past the Great Mosque in the historic city — which dates to 500 BC and was once a spoil of Alexander the Great — and seized government buildings. Witnesses described hearing sporadic gunfire at one government building while the rest of the city fell silent under the insurgents’ control.
Herat had been under militant attack for two weeks, with one wave blunted by the arrival of warlord Ismail Khan and his forces. But on Thursday afternoon, Taliban fighters broke through the city’s defensive lines and later said they were in control.
Afghan lawmaker Semin Barekzai also acknowledged the city’s fall, saying that some officials there had escaped. Witnesses described seeing Taliban fighters once-detained at Herat’s prison now freely moving on the streets.
It wasn’t immediately clear what happened to Khan, who earlier had been described as under attack with his forces at a government building.
Shame about the old guy, I actually liked him since the 1990s. Hope he at least he got a proper warrior death with his old AKSU in his hands.
Meanhwile AP:
Same article:
Shame about the old guy, I actually liked him since the 1990s. Hope he at least he got a proper warrior death with his old AKSU in his hands.
Eh, they captured him. Also just said they will take all of Afghanistan within a week from now.
They will. Kinda funny how they will complete it before Biden's deadline.
If history repeats itself, America would collapse on itself soon after the end of their Afghan adventure, just like the Soviet Union.
The DRA actually survived the USSR by few months.