Taliban takes over three more provinces in southern Afghanistan

The Taliban on Friday captured Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern province of Helmand, Afghanistan.

The development comes a day after the group claimed control over Kandahar and Herat, the country’s second and third largest cities.

Helmand is Afghanistan’s largest province by area.

Earlier on Thursday, the insurgents captured Ghazni city, which is said to link the Afghanistan capital with the country’s southern provinces.

Also captured by the Taliban are Qalat, local capital of the Zabul province, and Tirin Kot, provincial capital of Uruzgan.

The insurgent group is now in control of over two-thirds of the south Asian country, with reports that they could gain a full control of the country within a few months if the current trend continues.

Violence had escalated across Afghanistan after the United States and other international forces began to withdraw their troops from the country, after about 20 years of military operations.

The US, Canada and Britain have announced plans to send in troops to help evacuate their embassy staff and support nationals leaving the country as the Taliban inches closer to seizing Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in July visited Kabul to hold discussions on promoting peace and stability in the country over an armed conflict which dates back more than four decades.