KABUL – Afghanistan security forces source said that the Taliban had takencontrol of a number of check posts in the city and the National Directorateof Security (NDS) and police headquarters, TOLO News has reported.
President Ghani early Tuesday visited MoD and held a security meeting overFarah city and ordered forces to be deployed to prevent “enemy attacks”, aspokesman for President Haroon Chakhansuri tweeted.
Footage released on social media shows that a number of security forces’vehicles have been torched and that the Taliban have entered a buildingused by the security forces.
11:00am: footage released on social media shows that helicopters havestarted airstrikes around the city.
12:20pm: Danish at a joint press conference with the Ministry of Defence(MoD) Mohammad Radmanish said that security forces from southern Kandaharand western Herat provinces have been deployed to the province to“eliminate the threats.”
“The clashes in north and west of Farah city which is 3km far from thecenter is ongoing between the security forces and Taliban,” Danish said,adding that “no government organization has fallen into the hands of theTaliban yet.”
The Afghan and foreign troop’s air forces are also involved in the battleagainst the Taliban. “Six security forces have been killed in clashes withthe Taliban and a security police official was wounded in the clashes,” hesaid.
In the meantime, Radmanish said that “two security forces were killed inthe clashes and four others were wounded,” adding that “the situation wouldchange by the afternoon and security forces have been deployed to the city.”
12:10pm: head of the provincial council Farid Bakhtawar told TOLOnewsminutes before Danish and Radmanish’s conference that “no reinforcementshave been deployed to the city and most of the government officials havefled from the city.”
“The enemies (Taliban) are moving towards the prison compound,” Batakhwarsaid, adding that “we will fight until our last drop of blood for Farah.”
The residents have said that the Taliban took control of a part of the NDSbuilding.