The Taliban have said they have captured a key border crossing with Iran, hours after Joe Biden issued a staunch defence of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The group has captured more than a third of the country’s 400 districts since the U.S. accelerated its final pullout in early May. The insurgents now hold an arc of territory from the Iranian border to the frontier with China.
An Afghan government official said efforts were under way to recapture Islam Qala – the main conduit for trade between Afghanistan and Iran – as the insurgents continue to make sweeping gains across the country, The Guardian reported.
“All Afghan security forces including the border units are present in the area, and efforts are under way to recapture the site,” said an interior ministry spokesperson, Tareq Arian.
A Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Friday the crossing was “under our full control”.
