Reports indicate that the Taliban have taken over the centers of Dand-e-Pathan and Janikhel districts in Paktia province, Shamalzai in Zabul province and Khash in Badakhshan province in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, sources confirm that eight district centers have fallen into Taliban control in the past 24 hours: Five districts (Said Karam, Ahmad Aba, Rohani Baba, Jani Khel and Dand-e Patan) in Paktia province, Khenjan in Baghlan, Shamalzai in Zabul and Khash in Badakhshan.
Meanwhile, footage on social media shows the Taliban claiming to have taken over Sher Khan Bandar port in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province.
The Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI), however, has said that the Taliban’s recent military advance is temporary, and they will be pushed back soon by security forces.
“How have they gotten this much strength within a month's time and moved toward Mazar-e-Sharif, toward Faryab and Takhar? This is propaganda, it is a temporary thing, even the Taliban themselves do not believe that they have reached these regions,” said Naqibullah Fayeq, deputy minister of interior for security and strategy.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan’s media reported that over 130 Afghan border police who were deployed in Sher Khan Bandar port have fled to Tajikistan after facing Taliban attacks.
Security authorities in Kunduz province have said that the security forces are determined to retake lost territories from the Taliban.
“Our security forces show a strong spirit to resist, and have the courage to retake the district. God willing, we assure you that the enemy will never be able to takeover Ali Abad district,” said Mohammad Haikal, Ali Abad district governor.
“We retook Ali Abad region, we are now ready to move toward Khan Abad,” said Mohammad Omar Pakhsaparan, Aqtash district governor in Kunduz.
There are also reports that the Taliban has taken over Khash district.
In the past 48 hours, the Taliban also attacked Ab Band district in Ghazni and managed to take over a security checkpoint.
The Afghan government on Tuesday said that the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) recaptured three strategic districts from the Taliban: Balkh district in Balkh, Dushi district in Baghlan and Ali Abad district in Kunduz.