US intelligence: Kabul will fall into the hands of the Taliban within 3 months

A US intelligence official told Reuters that the Taliban would isolate the Afghan capital, Kabul, within a month and check it within three months.

Meanwhile, an Afghan official and reports from the media locals said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ousted the army chief of staff amid a Taliban advance in all over the country.

Deposition of the Chief of Staff

A defense ministry official said General Hebatullah Alizai replaced General Wali Ahmadzai as Afghan Army Chief of Staff. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the changes have not yet been made public.

The media and locals widely reported Ghani’s decision. For days, Afghan government officials have not responded to repeated requests for comment.

Rich in Mazar-i-Sharif

As the Taliban progressed, the Afghan president visited the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif to support his forces and called for the Taliban movement to be prevented from controlling it.

Ghani has inspected the overall security situation in the northern region and is expected to hold talks with Mazar-i Sharif’s strongman, Atta Muhammad Nour, regarding the defense of the city.

Check 9 caps

An Afghan lawmaker told AFP Wednesday that the Taliban captured the northern Afghan city of Faizabad, the ninth capital of a province controlled by extremist insurgents, in less than a week.

The Taliban, who have made rapid progress since the withdrawal of foreign forces, now control the capitals of nine of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, including seven of the nine northern capitals.