The Taliban have captured at least four more provincial capitals in Afghanistan as government forces struggle to contain the group's rapid advance and Washington and London prepare to send additional troops to help evacuate civilian personne.
Insurgents tightened their grip on Afghanistan on Saturday by capturing Mazar-e-Sharif - a large, heavily defended city in the north of the country - in a major setback for the government.
SHUKRIA BARAKZAI: Hundreds of Afghan civilians have already been slaughtered, while stories of horror are legion - some so appalling as to barely be believed.
Taliban fighters seized a province just south of Afghanistan s capital and launched a multi-pronged assault on Mazar-e-Sharif, a major city in the north defended by powerful former warlords, today.