Afghanistan: Provincial capital Herat falls

The Taliban have taken control of their 11th provincial capital in less than a week since their sweeping offensive began last Friday. Ghazni had fallen earlier today and chances for a Taliban takeover of Kabul over the next week have significantly grown.

Heavy fighting had already been reported in Kandahar and the Taliban have released all of the inmates by running over the Kandahar prison. With the Afghan forces’ morale already low chances for its occupation have risen. The Afghan government has been left exposed by the string of defeats and the speed at which the Taliban are moving.

With Ashraf Ghani deciding to arm militias led likely by commander Rashid Dostum it is likely that the old age of warlord skirmishes will return and if the Taliban do oust the Afghan government by force then the groups it will break in to will do the same thing with the Taliban government if it declares to come into power.

The Taliban have reverted to their old ways and civilians are reporting of draconian laws and strict persecution for supporting the government. Afghan soldiers who had surrendered before the Taliban have also reportedly been executed once again. This will give rise to more violence as the families and tribes the soldiers belonged to will look to avenge their gruesome deaths, further escalating the violence.

Afghanistan had always have been under the control of different warlords, each hating the other and his people, their religious practices, what they eat, how they look, how they dress and also hating their “blood.” With the likelihood of armed militias, a civil war looks inevitable and with it the unfortunate reincarnation of ethnic violence and intolerance, religious persecution and tribal warfare, etc.

With the Afghan army chief already replaced, Afghanistan may lose the next 10 of its provinces even faster if the morale isn’t boosted and a definite strategy doesn’t come into effect. With no positive news on their side and the loss of almost a quarter of the regions it is unlikely that the Afghan government would now succeed in cracking a peace deal with the Taliban, but some experts are still optimistic and the global and regional leaders are busy waiting for a definite result or a way they can convince the sides to sit at the table.