Herat Governor, Ismail Khan surrender to Taliban as city falls

Kabul, Aug 13 (IANS) Former mujahedeen leader Mohammad Ismail Khan has surrendered to the Taliban as Herat, the third-largest city in Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban on Friday.All key government institutions were captured by the group. All government officials, including Herat Governor, police chief, head of the NDS office in Herat, former mujahedeen leader Mohammad Ismail Khan, the Deputy Minister of Interior for Security, and the 207 Zafar Corps commander surrendered to the Taliban after the province fell to the group, media reports said. Clashes on the outskirts of Herat city were underway for almost three weeks as the Taliban faced resistance by the security and defense forces who were accompanied by public uprising forces led by Ismail Khan. This comes as Nimroz, Farah, Ghor and Badghis provinces, all located in the west zone, have also fallen to the Taliban in the last one week. The Taliban so far have captured at least 17 provincial capitals. Heavy clashes are underway in the centre of Logar province, 70 km south of Kabul city.
--IANS
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