Taliban takes key northern Afghan cities

Taliban fighters seized most of the capital of northern Afghanistan's Kunduz province on Sunday. The extremist group continues to gain ground in Afghanistan as the United States and allied troops complete their withdrawal. Kunduz city was the fourth provincial capital to largely or entirely fall to the Taliban in less than a week.

What happened in Kunduz? The Taliban took control of the governor's office and police headquarters after a day of firefights. It also captured the main prison building, freeing 500 inmates, including Taliban fighters. One of the country’s larger cities, Kunduz was a key area Western troops defended against a Taliban takeover over the years. The Afghan government said the country’s security forces continue to fight and have retaken some areas from the Taliban.

Dig deeper: Read my earlier Sift on the Taliban’s aggressive push in Afghanistan.