GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok Afghan News) — Taliban have been in full control of at least eight districts and partially control five other towns in southern Ghazni province, a public representative said on Monday.

Deputy provincial council head, Amanullah Kamrani, told Pajhwok Afghan News the districts under insurgents control included Rashidan, Khwaja Omari, Zanakhan, Jaghatu, Ajiristan, Khogyani, Deh Yak and Waghaz. The government controls only centres of Andar, Qarabagh, Giro, Gilan and Ab Band districts, he said, adding Jaghori, Malistan and Nahur districts being stable, but Taliban controlling their roads.

“Ghazni province is probably again on the verge collapse if its security situation is not improved”, Kamrani warned.

Rahmatullah, a resident of Qarabagh district, said the district was under the insurgents’ siege for the last several months. The Taliban also shut the Kandahar-Kabul highway for traffic in Qarabagh district, he added. “Taliban have entered the centre of our district, Afghan forces have tried many times to clear the district, but failed”, he said.

A driver on the Ghazni-Kandahar highway, Samiullah, told Pajhwok that the Taliban had installed checkpoints on several parts of the route: “Culverts on the highway have also been destroyed and we have to go on unpaved road in several parts.”