Taliban have captured Afghan provincial capital city the first time since 2001. Police in city of Zaranj, capital of southern Nimroz province, said Taliban forces are now in control. Nimroz is on border with Iran. The police there were unable to fight because there were too few government soldiers to help. Taliban official said it was important day for the group. He said victory would increase morale of his fighters in other provinces. He added: "This is just beginning. Other provinces will fall into our hands very soon." There is currently heavy fighting in cities of Lashkar Gah, Kanduz, Herat and Kandahar. They may fall before the Taliban fight for nation's capital Kabul.
The Taliban are fighting to take control of Afghanistan for first time since 2001. This is when US-led forces defeated them after the attacks on World Trade Center in New York. The USA and other western powers have spent 20 years trying to train Afghan army and police officers to keep country peaceful. However, the Taliban never gave up their fight to take country back. The USA and UK are currently pulling their forces out of Afghanistan. They are ending their time in country after 20 years. The UN's special envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, said war there had entered "a new, deadlier, and more destructive phase". She warned that country was heading for "catastrophe".
