Taliban gains more ground

Kabul - The Taliban militia said yesterday it had captured three more opposition-held towns in the latest victory for the hardline…

Kabul - The Taliban militia said yesterday it had captured three more opposition-held towns in the latest victory for the hardline Islamic group, which has cut a swathe across northern Afghanistan in just five days.

Western aid sources confirmed that the town of Pul-I-Khumri fell to the Taliban at around 10.30 a.m local time after a heavy overnight assault. As elsewhere since the Taliban captured the stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday, they met little resistance, the sources said.