Taliban tighten grip on approaches to Kabul in Afghanistan offensive

Insurgents capture Ghazni city, given them control of main approaches to capital from north and south

The Taliban have tightened their grip on the approaches to Kabul, taking control of a key city on the main road south as the threat to several other major urban areas escalated.

The fall on Thursday night of Ghazni, 90 miles south of the capital and which sits on Highway 1 connecting Kabul and Kandahar, means the Taliban control the main strategic approaches from the north and south after the fall of Pul-e Khumri two days ago.