Taliban continue aggressive push in Afghanistan

The Taliban has now captured nine out of 10 districts of the Helmand provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. The insurgent group continued its advance into southern Afghanistan on Tuesday. The nation’s government forces launched airstrikes backed by the U.S. military in a desperate effort to defend the city.

What’s the outlook for the conflict? The fall of Lashkar Gah would be a major turning point in the offensive the Taliban has waged in recent months as U.S. and NATO forces withdraw. It would also be the first provincial capital the Taliban has captured in years. The Afghan military dispatched elite commando units to help protect key government buildings, including the local police and army headquarters. But some fear it’s only a matter of time before Taliban forces overrun those facilities.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report about the threats facing the Afghan people as the U.S. troops withdraw.