The Taliban on Friday assassinated Dawa Khan Menapal, the chief of Afghanistan’s Government Information Media Centre in Kabul, AP reported. Menapal handled the government’s interactions with local as well as foreign media.
Menapal “was killed in a special attack of the Mujahideen” and was “punished for his deeds”, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Interior Ministry spokesperson Mirwais Stanikzai confirmed Menapal’s death, and added that “savage terrorists killed” him during Friday prayers, Reuters reported. “He [Menapal] was a young man who stood like a mountain in the face of enemy propaganda, and who was always a major supporter of the [Afghan] regime,” Stanikzai said.
The Taliban also captured the city of Zaranj, the capital of the Nimroz province in southern Afghanistan, Reuters reported. A police spokesperson told the news agency that Zaranj fell to the Taliban due to a lack of reinforcements from the government.
Since United States President Joe Biden announced in April that he would pull back troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have taken control of several districts in the country.
Taliban has reportedly seized the governor’s office, the police headquarters and an encampment near the Iranian border in Zaranj, according to Reuters.
A Taliban commander, who did not want to disclose identity, said that capturing Zaranj was strategically important for the group as it shares a border with Iran. “This is the beginning and see how other provinces fall in our hands very soon,” he said.
Friday’s attack came days after the Taliban warned that they would target administrative officials as retaliation against increased air strikes, AFP reported.
On August 3, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on the house of Afghanistan’s defence minister, BBC reported. The minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, was not at home when the attack took place, and his family was evacuated from the spot. However, the attack left eight people dead.
Foreign military forces are due to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31. Around 650 United States service members are expected to remain in Kabul to guard Washington’s sprawling diplomatic compound.
A February 2020 agreement the Taliban signed with the United States prevents the insurgents from capturing provincial capitals. However, the group is on the brink of capturing Lashkar Gah, the capital of the Helmand province, according to The Guardian.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!