'Afghanistan heading to civil war,' says UK Defence Secretary as Taliban encircles Kabul

At the outset of Taliban-infused violent territorial gains in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on August 13 said that Afghanistan is heading towards civil war and terror group Al Qaeda 'will probably come back' given the volatile security situation in the region. 

UK Defence Secretary warned against the unprecedented violent clashes between President Ashraf Ghani-led armed forces and the terrorist outfit, Taliban. While speaking to BBC Breakfast, he asserted that poverty and terrorism in the war-torn State will grow denser amid misdeeds of the extremist organisation that is hell-bent on capturing major and capital provinces of Afghanistan. Wallace clarified that the UK would intervene to stabilise had terror plots against it were formulated from Afghanistan.

UK Defence Secretary warns of possible civil war in Afghanistan

UK Defence Secretary further condemned Donald Trump for striking the withdrawal deal in 2020 to pulling out US and NATO troops from Afghanistan and marking 20 years since the deadly World Trade Centre (9/11) attacks. Since the foreign forces began to exit on May 1, the shift of reigns and a prolonged power crisis in Afghan land have hit the headlines for the gravest of atrocities costing the lives of thousands of innocent civilians. Recently, the world news bulletin highlighted a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' submissions that "nearly 3,90,000 people have been newly displaced by conflict across the country, with a huge spike since May." According to UN humanitarian partners, 5,800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) came to Kabul between July 1 and August 5, 2021, seeking protection from the fighting and other hazards. Food, household supplies, water, and sanitary aid have all been provided to them. Also, women are dragged to serving as sex slaves to the militants in the Taliban-captivated provinces.  

Taliban takes over Afghanistan's major provinces

The Taliban has so far taken over the Ghazni province from Governor Daoud Laghmani and the national police. The bodyguards of the Governor were reportedly disarmed and escorted to Kabul based on the agreement between the two sides.

As per reports, Daoud Laghmani, Ghazni Governor, has betrayed the government as he has surrendered the local government to the Taliban. The fighters have entered all government facilities though there is no official confirmation from the Afghan government concerning the collapse of Ghazni province. 

Meanwhile, four government officials along with the Governor of Farah province also surrendered to the Taliban and the latter claimed to have taken the national police to headquarters in the province. Fierce firing and exchanges surfaced in regions of Kandahar on Wednesday, August 10. After the Taliban seized their first provincial capital Zaranj in Nimroz and Sheberghan in Jawzjan, heavy fighting is now underway in Herat and Lashkar Gah too. 

The militant troops are reportedly headed to capture the region of Kandahar like they seized Zaranj. Furthermore, the Taliban owned up attaching a sticky bomb to an Afghan Air Force pilot's vehicle who was killed in Kabul.