“The city has fallen to the Taliban,” said Deputy Governor Rohullah Gul Khairzad Washington Post.
The Taliban have taken control of large parts of Afghanistan in recent months, but Zaranj is the first provincial capital they fully control.
According to Afghan media, the rebels have taken over the provincial assembly and taken control of the airport in the city, and they are also said to have released prisoners from prison.
Criticizes the government
The police in the city confirm opposite Reuters that the Taliban have taken the city and a spokesman criticizes the Kabul government for not sending enough reinforcements.
– ON PROGRESS: The Taliban have taken control of large parts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. – These Afghan special forces have been deployed in an attempt to drive the rebels out of the city Photo: Abdul Khaliq / AP / NTB
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Pictures on social media show armed rebels in the streets and on social media it is claimed that shops are now being looted by the city’s residents.
About 200,000 people live in Nimroz, which is one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and borders Iran and Pakistan. The provincial capital is home to about 50,000 people.
The Taliban already controls large parts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.
In recent weeks, there have also been fierce fighting in the cities of Kandahar and Herat, capitals in the provinces of the same name.
Media chief killed
Earlier on Friday, the Afghan government’s media center was killed in an attack in Kabul, the country’s interior ministry reported. The Taliban has taken the blame.
– TARGETED ATTACK: Afghan security forces in the green zone in Kabul after an attack on Tuesday aimed at Afghanistan’s defense minister. He was physically unharmed from the incident, but eight other people were killed Photo: Rahmat Gul / AP / NTB
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The attack on the media center’s head Dawa Khan Menapal took place on Friday. He was shot and killed inside a mosque.
The rebels announced a few days ago that they would go after leading members of the government apparatus in retaliation for airstrikes.
“Once again, brutal terrorists have committed a cowardly act and taken the life of a patriotic Afghan citizen,” Interior Ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanikzai said.
On Tuesday, the home of Afghanistan’s defense minister was attacked in the green zone of Kabul, a strictly guarded and allegedly safe place.
It was the first time in several months that the Taliban carried out attacks in the heart of the capital.
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