Taliban Forces Continue Their Offensive As They Approach Kabul

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The Taliban have captured another one of Afghanistan's largest cities and continue to close in on the capital of Kabul, as the government's control is rapidly shrinking. The situation in Kabul was "deteriorating by the hour," a reporter there told NPR Saturday morning, as trust in the nation's government dwindles and the insurgent group continues its sweeping offensive.

The Taliban's latest prize is the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, a crucial part of northern Afghanistan where local militias and Afghan Army soldiers had pledged to fight for the city, according to The Associated Press.

With that takeover, the militant group now controls virtually all of northern, southern and western Afghanistan.

The Taliban also captured all of the Logar province Saturday — just south of Kabul — and have reached the Char Asyab district, just 7 miles south of the Afghan capital, according to The Associated Press, which cited local lawmakers. The insurgents also captured the capital of Paktika province along Pakistan's western border.