Today marks six months since the Afghan capital of Kabul was ceded to the Taliban with the sudden and secret departure of the country's US-backed president.
The case follows a series of similar arrests of self-radicalized terror suspects on charges they tried to join or support the Islamic State group by making contacts on social media.
Life in the capital of 6 million people rapidly deteriorated Sunday, just as it had across much of the country over the past several weeks amid a Taliban blitz that saw the group capture one provincial capital after another. Already, Kabul's parks were filling with internally displaced people — families who'd fled their homes as the Taliban seized control of their towns and targeted people.
The fear and panic gripping Kabul are palpable as the Taliban militant group marches on the capital following a devastating, months-long military offensive during which it has seized large swaths of the war-torn country.
The insurgents have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan in a breakneck offensive less than three weeks before the U.S. is set to withdraw its last troops, raising fears of a full militant takeover or another Afghan civil war.
For now, commercial flights continue at the airport. Air India, Dubai-based carriers Emirates and FlyDubai, Pakistan International Airlines and Turkish Airlines all either have flights en route or planned to Kabul for the next days. Local Afghan airlines continue to fly as well.
The U.S. military has estimated that Kabul could come under insurgent pressure within 30 days and that the Taliban could overrun the rest of the country within a few months.
While Kabul itself isn't directly under threat yet, the losses and the battles elsewhere further tighten the grip of a resurgent Taliban estimated to now hold some two-thirds of the nation.
A Taliban spokesperson on Twitter also claimed the capture of the city, the capital of Baghlan province. Images on social media showed the Taliban's flag at city gates and insurgent fighters inside the city.
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.
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