Consolidating controlIn the town of Aibak, capital of Samangan province on the main road between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, Taliban fighters were consolidating their control and moving into government buildings, residents said. For years, the north was the most peaceful part of the country, with only minimal Taliban presence. The United States has been launching air strikes in support of government troops but said it was up to Afghan forces to defend their country. "People rightly fear that a seizure of power by the Taliban will erase the human rights gains of the past two decades," she said. The United States and Britain have already advised their citizens to leave Afghanistan.

Source: CBC News August 10, 2021 11:48 UTC