Taliban tighten control of Afghan north as residents weigh options

KABUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Taliban fighters tightened their control over captured territory in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday as residents hid in their homes and a pro-government commander vowed to fight to the death for Mazar-i-Sharif , the largest city to defend in the north.

President Ashraf Ghani called on the strong men of the region to support his embattled government after a staggering series of Taliban wins, and, as the United States said, it was up to Ghani’s armed forces to defend themselves.

In the city of Aibak, the capital of Samangan province on the main road between Mazar-i-Sharif and the state capital, Kabul, Taliban fighters consolidated their influence and moved into government buildings, local residents said.

Most of the government security forces appeared to have withdrawn from the city, local residents said, as they stayed away from the streets.

“The only way is self-imposed house arrest or an exit to Kabul,” said Sher Mohamed Abbas, a provincial tax office, when asked about living conditions in the city.

“But then Kabul is no longer a safe option either,” said Abbas, father of four children and sole breadwinner of a family of nine.

Abbas said the Taliban had arrived at his office and asked workers to go home. He and other residents said they did not see or hear any fights on Tuesday.

The Taliban, who fought to defeat the US-backed government and reinstate strict Islamic law, invaded Aibak on Monday and encountered little resistance.

The Taliban and government officials have confirmed that the Islamists have overrun six provincial capitals in the north, west and south in the past few days.

“DIE IN Dignity”

The militants displaced in the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States are able to advance into the region’s largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif, from various directions. Their overthrow would deal a devastating blow to Ghani’s government in Kabul.

Atta Mohammad Noor, a commander of the northern militia, vowed to fight to the end and said there would be “resistance to the last drop of my blood.”

“I’d rather die with dignity than die in despair,” he said on Twitter.

In Kabul, Ghani’s aides said he was seeking help from regional militias with whom he has quarreled over the years in order to defend his government. He also appealed to the civilian population to defend the “democratic fabric” of the country, aid workers said.

The United States will finalize the withdrawal of its armed forces later this month under an agreement with the Taliban that includes the withdrawal of foreign forces in exchange for Taliban promises to prevent Afghanistan from being used for international terrorism.

Under the agreement, the Taliban were supposed to seek peace with the Ghani government, but talks that had been interrupted for months remained fruitless.

Government officials have called for pressure on neighboring Pakistan to halt Taliban reinforcements and supplies across the porous border. Pakistan denies supporting the Taliban.

The US has stated that it is up to the Afghan security forces to defend their country.

“It’s your country now that you have to defend. It’s your fight,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday.

Reporting by the Afganistan Bureau, editing by Robert Birsel

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