Taliban Enter Capital of Helmand Province
Local Editor
Afghan officials said the Taliban insurgents launched a large-scale attack on the capital of southern Helmand province.
Sediq Sediqqi, the interior ministry spokesman, said Monday the militants attacked security checkpoints inside Lashkar Gah.
He further noted that Afghan security forces "will soon push them back."
For his part, Abdul Majeed Akhonzada, the deputy director of Helmand's provincial council, stated that the Taliban entered the city after breaching the "defense security belt."
In this regard, a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the insurgents are advancing through Lashkar Gah.
Helmand is strategically important for the Taliban as it is the source of opium worth an estimated $4 billion a year, much of which funds the war.
Since the beginning of this year's fighting season, the Taliban expanded their footprint across most of the province.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team