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As the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates with an increase in offensives by the Taliban, clashes continued in key areas of Lashkargah city, capital of Helmand province.
According to Tolo News, clashes continues in Lashkargah city in District 1 near the police headquarters and the provincial governor's office on Sunday. Security sources said many parts of the city have fallen to the Taliban in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Helmand's Members of Parliament (MPs) said that the city will be out of the government's control if it does not receive support. "The fighting has reached District 1 and is 100 meters or 200 meters away from the provincial governor's compound. Fighting is underway to capture the base in the province and the people are concerned," Tolo News quoted Ghulam Wali Afghan, an MP from Helmand as saying. "Clashes are underway near the Helmand governor's compound, the police headquarters and the NDS office. They will fall if attention is not paid to them," said Karim Atal, an MP from Helmand. In the past few weeks, Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in violence as the Taliban have intensified their offensive against civilians and Afghan security forces with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away. According to Tolo News findings, 70 districts, as well as the Spin Boldak border town, fell to the Taliban in July. The government said that 11 districts had been retaken from the Taliban in July, but five of them--Yaftal in Badakhshan, Chakhansur in Nimroz, Malistan in Ghazni, Garmsir in Helmand and Guzara in Herat--have once again fallen to the Taliban. The findings also show that for just the month of July, 313 civilians and 239 security force members were wounded in security incidents and Taliban attacks. The figures show that 700 civilians and 216 security force members were wounded during this period. The government said that the Taliban has sustained heavy casualties during this time. (ANI)
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