Taliban

According to the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission's findings, the Taliban killed civilians after capturing the center and parts of Malistan district. In addition to violence and inhumane treatment of people, looting of citizens' property, destruction of houses and shops, and creating an atmosphere of fear the Taliban displaced thousands of families, including women and children, from this district to other nearby and distant areas.

Reports said the young woman was shot dead by Taliban extremists in the village of Samar Qandian, which is controlled by the militant group. Adil Shah Adil, a police spokesman in Balkh was quoted as saying that the victim was named Nazanin and that she was 21 years old. The woman was wearing a burqa, a veil that covers the face and body, at the time of the attack, the police said.

After gaining significant control over the Bamiyan province in July, Taliban fighters demanded the names and ages of girls and women they said would be rounded up and married off to their young fighters. Foreign Policy magazine reported that in the central highlands of Bamiyan province, the insurgents beat some men who tried to resist and forced some residents to show them closets of clothing to determine the ages of the girls and women who lived there.

Sources said that security forces are stationed only at the provincial airport in Khwaja Dako district, which is the hometown of former vice president Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum and is located 17 kilometers from the city of Sheberghan. Sheberghan is the second provincial capital to fall to the Taliban in the last two days.

On Friday, Taliban terrorists killed Dawa Khan Menapal, head of the Afghan government's media and information centre, in Kabul's Darul Aman Road. Taliban's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility and lauded the terrorists over Twitter. According to local media reports, the Taliban has murdered more than 40 civilians in Malistan in the past one week.

As per latest indications, the Taliban controls 218 districts, while the Afghan government controls 108 districts and 100 districts remain contested. In Herat Province, clashes continued in the city of Herat as well as the adjoining Injil district. Provincial Governor Abdul Qane expressed confidence in the city's defence and averred that the Taliban were suffering heavy casualties.

"The security forces backed by fighter planes have killed 40 insurgents and captured 15 others in a counter-offensive to foil a Taliban attack on Shiberghan city today," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. "The Taliban rebels entered houses in Shiberghan city and have been using civilians as human shield," the statement said, adding government forces would continue to target the insurgents until the city is cleared.

Mawlawi Mubarak, the commander of the so-called Red Army unit of the Taliban, was killed in the air raids launched at 10.48 p.m. on Thursday night, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Lashkar Gah has been the scene of fierce fighting over the past couple of weeks. Afghan security forces have launched a major offensive operation in the city and urged the residents to evacuate the areas under Taliban control.

Russia's Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, had made it clear on July 20 in Moscow that India cannot participate in the format of the expanded group of three because it did not have any influence on the Taliban. India has not been invited to the extended troika talks on Afghanistan convened by Russia set to be held on August 11.

Speaking to VOA, Khalilzad said the United States remains committed to promoting a political settlement between warring Afghans, stressing that neither side to the conflict can win militarily.As per media reports, according to him, the US-Taliban agreement, signed in Doha in February last year, provided the opportunity for Afghans to sit across the table -to reach an agreement to agree on a formula that would have broad support in Afghanistan.