An Afghan source confirmed today, Thursday, that the Afghan Sheberghan Airport has fallen into the hands of the "Taliban" after officials withdrew from it.

The source, in an interview with “Sputnik”, said: “The Taliban intensified their attack on the Sheberghan areas and airport, and in the late hours of the night, military planes transported Batur Dostum, the son of Marshal Dostum - the war commander in Jawzjan - as well as the governor of the state, in addition to some officials. They were transferred to Mazar-i-Sharif Airport in Balkh, which the President of the Republic visited yesterday.

The source added, "After officials withdrew from the area, the soldiers at the airport surrendered to the Taliban, and the airport was captured."

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Taliban Movement announced that it captured the Sheberghan Airport in the northern state of Jowzjan, as well as the airport of Farah state in the west of the country, days after the Movement took control of the two states.

So far, according to the Movement's data, the Taliban has controlled the centers of nine provinces: Samangan, Takhar, Nimroz, Jowzjan, Sari Pul, Kunduz, Farah, Badakhshan, and Baghlan.

The Washington Post quoted an informed US source as saying that "the US administration expects Taliban fighters to capture the Afghan capital, Kabul, within one to three months."

In a press conference, Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby said that the Pentagon has no “assessment of Taliban resources" because the Afghan state can control them. He added, "We are certainly mindful of the advances that the Taliban have made in terms of taking over yet an increased number of provincial capitals," adding, "and our focus right now remains on completing our drawdown in a safe and orderly way.”

Kirby stressed that US President Joe Biden's decision is clear, indicating that the withdrawal would support Afghanistan. He emphasized the withdrawal from Afghanistan because he believes that the terrorist threats on the country from outside Afghanistan exceed those within it. 

He also stressed that the US is ready to support the Afghan forces in the appropriate place and time, noting that his country does not believe in a military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. 

Yesterday, Wednesday, a US defense official announced that the Taliban forces may isolate Kabul from the rest of the country, within 30 days, and may control it within 90 days. 

The frequency of confrontations between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants has escalated, coinciding with the withdrawal of US and NATO forces in early May, which should be completed by September 11.

The Qatari capital, Doha, is hosting, starting yesterday, a new round of negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban movement on accelerating peace talks and ending the ongoing violence in Afghanistan.