Mohammad Ismail Khan, a former mujahideen leader and a senior member of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, has mobilized hundreds of his loyalists in Herat province in the west of Afghanistan to fight the Taliban as the group continues to capture large swaths of territories across the country.

Taliban on Friday morning launched an attack on District 7 of Kandahar city and took over at least two security outposts, sources said. But security officials said Afghan forces prevented the group from advancing in the area.