Taliban militants take control over Afghan city of Jalalabad “without fighting”

JALALABAD, Aug. 15 (YPA) – The Taliban militants have entered Afghan police headquarters in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, in eastern Afghanistan, a Taliban source said Sunday.

“The mujahedeen entered the police headquarters in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar state… and have been able to control important positions,” the source told news agencies

The group had taken control of the main city of Jalalabad without fighting, securing the roads connecting the country to Pakistan, Reuters  reported, citing Afghan officials as saying .

An Afghan official in Jalalabad said: “There are currently no clashes in Jalalabad because the governor surrendered to the Taliban. “Opening the way for the Taliban to pass through was the only way to save civilian lives.”

A Western security official also confirmed the fall of the city, which was one of a few key areas adjacent to the government-controlled capital Kabul.

Since May, Afghanistan has been the scene of fierce clashes between government forces and Taliban militants as the movement advances militarily at an accelerated pace, approaching the capital Kabul, with 13 state centers under its control.

E.M