Taliban seize 10th Afghan provincial capital as western troops continue withdrawal

The Taliban seized a 10th provincial capital in Afghanistan on Thursday, continuing their days long blitz across the nation. 

Insurgents now occupy the city of Ghazni, which is just 80 miles southwest of Kabul and situated along the Kabul-Kandahar Highway. The city's fall will complicate the delivery route that runs between Kabul and the nation's southern provinces, making it difficult for the country's capital to receive needed deliveries.

On Thursday, Taliban members posted videos of themselves waiving flags in the streets of Ghazni, celebrating their seizure of the city. Though, the Afghan government reportedly maintains a presence at an army and intelligence base outside of the city.

Though the militant Taliban soldiers have not yet threatened Kabul, they are fast moving in that direction and the speed with which they have conquered cities across the region is raising significant concern to the Afghan government's leaders in the nation's capital. 

Despite the aggressive and concerning movements of the Taliban over the last two weeks, President Joe Biden says the plans to completely withdraw all U.S. and NATO troops by month's end remains the plan.