Taliban seizes control of second-largest city Kandahar in key moment in Afghanistan conflict

The key southern city of Kandahar, once ground zero of the Taliban insurgency, has reportedly fallen to the militant group after weeks of fighting at the city’s borders. Taliban militants overran Afghan security forces on August 12, 2021, after taking control of a prison and releasing the inmates the previous day. Kandahar’s apparent fall came as the Taliban seized control of two other strategic cities in Afghanistan – Herat and Ghazni – within the same 24-hour period. As the militant group extends control over other parts of the country, the US is preparing to send an additional 3,000 troops to Kabul to help evacuate embassy personnel from the capital.