Afghan president in urgent talks as Taliban take key town near Kabul | Malay Mail

KABUL, Aug 14 — Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani held urgent talks with local leaders and international partners today as Taliban rebels pushed closer to Kabul, capturing a town south of the capital that is one of the gateways to the city.

He gave no sign of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign for any talks on a ceasefire and a political settlement, saying his priority remained the consolidation of the country’s security and defence forces.He spoke soon after the insurgents, facing little resistance, took Pul-e-Alam, capital of Logar province and 70 km south of Kabul, according to a local provincial council member, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The Pentagon has said two battalions of Marines and an infantry battalion will arrive in Kabul by Sunday evening, involving about 3,000 troops. An infantry brigade combat team will move to Kuwait to act as a quick reaction force for security in Kabul if needed. An Afghan government official confirmed on Friday that Kandahar, the biggest city in the south, was under Taliban control as US-led international forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war.Kandahar’s loss was a heavy blow to the government. It is the heartland of the Taliban ethnic Pashtun fighters who emerged in 1994 amid the chaos of civil war - and is close to the town of Spin Boldak, one of the two main entry points into Pakistan and a major source of tax revenues.

“This is the moment to halt the offensive. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war, or the isolation of Afghanistan,” Guterres told reporters in New York. Canada said it would resettle more than 20,000 vulnerable Afghans yesterday including women leaders, human rights workers and reporters to protect them from Taliban reprisals.

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