TALIBAN TAKEOVER This screengrab taken from a video from AFPTV shows armed members of the Taliban on the streets of Herat, Afghanistan’s third-biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege. AFP PHOTO
TALIBAN TAKEOVER This screengrab taken from a video from AFPTV shows armed members of the Taliban on the streets of Herat, Afghanistan’s third-biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege. AFP PHOTO


KABUL, AFGHANISTAN:
The United States will send troops to evacuate personnel from Afghanistan as the Taliban on Friday claimed the capture of second city Kandahar, capping an eight-day blitz that has left only the capital and pockets of other territory in government hands.

The US announcement came hours before a Taliban spokesman tweeted the fall of Kandahar - the movement's spiritual birthplace and the scene of days of fierce fighting.

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