Following heavy fighting between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban that lasted all day, Murghab district of Ghor province fell to the Taliban on Monday night, the Afghan security officials in the province confirmed on Tuesday.
 
The Taliban attacked the Murghab police headquarters two days ago and the district collapsed to the Taliban following 24 hours of heavy fighting, the officials said.
 
This is the first time that Afghan government officials confirmed the loss of a district to the Taliban following the US-Taliban peace agreement which was signed in Doha on February 29.
 
“Our security forces retreated to avoid any harm to the civilian population, but this morning a joint operation of special units, the commandos and the national police, began the retaking of Murghab,” said Abdul Maroof Ramish, a spokesman for the Ghor police.
 
Meanwhile, Aref Abir, a spokesman for Ghor's governor has said that the security forces have recaptured Ghor.
 
Abir said that the Afghan government forces have deployed around the Somok area of Ghor.
 
A number of civil society activists blamed the local government for the recent spate of violence.
 
“Poor leadership within the local government and misuse of the public uprising forces and local police by the tribal elders are among the key reasons which led to a surge in the scale of violence in Ghor,” said Ahmad Shah Mawahid, a civil society activist in Ghor.
 
Ghor is one of the insecure provinces in central Afghanistan.
 
“The security situation is not good across Ghor province, we have grave concerns about a possible collapse of other districts in Ghor to the Taliban,” said Maroof Saeedi, a resident of Ghor.
 
According to 207 Zafar Army Corps, last night the Taliban staged 25 attacks in the western parts of the country.
 
There are also reports of heavy casualties among the two sides in the fighting in the province.