Resurgent Taliban escalates nationwide offensive in Afghanistan

Afghan forces defend western city of Herat and Lashkar Gah in south as Kandahar airport hit by rockets

The Taliban escalated its nationwide offensive in Afghanistan on Sunday, launching renewed assaults on three major cities and rocketing a major airport in the south amid warnings that the conflict is rapidly worsening.

As Afghan government forces struggled with a resurgent Taliban following the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces, hundreds of commandos were deployed to the economically important western city of Herat while authorities in the southern city of Lashkar Gah called for more troops to rein in the assaults.