Afghan president blames ‘hasty’ US troop withdrawal for worsening violence

Ashraf Ghani comments come as government forces battle to prevent Lashkar Gah falling to the Taliban

Afghanistan's president, Ashraf Ghani, has blamed the speedy withdrawal of US-led troops for the worsening violence in his country, as government forces battled to prevent provincial cities from falling to the Taliban in a major escalation in fighting.

Taliban fighters assaulted at least three provincial capitals overnight - Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and Herat - after a weekend of heavy fighting that resulted in thousands of civilians fleeing the advancing militants.