Taliban Captures Afghan Provincial Capital; First To Fall Since US Withdrawal

Afghanistan: "The city of Zaranj, provincial capital of Nimroz, has fallen to the Taliban," Roh Gul Khairzad, deputy governor of Nimroz said.

The Taliban have captured their first Afghan provincial capital since launching an offensive to coincide with the final departure of foreign troops, a senior government official said Friday. "I can confirm... the city of Zaranj, provincial capital of Nimroz, has fallen to the Taliban," Roh Gul Khairzad, the deputy governor, told AFP. She said the city -- in southwest Afghanistan near the Iranian border -- had fallen "without a fight", and social media showed clips of insurgents roaming the streets, being cheered by local residents. The veracity of the video could not immediately be confirmed.