KABUL, Afghanistan — Of the three cities seized by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan on Sunday, Sar-i-Pul, the capital of the province with the same name, garnered fewer headlines and less concern from the international community. Because of its remoteness, the city had been widely neglected by both the Afghan government and the international aid agencies that flocked to Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion in 2001. But on Sunday, after more than a month of fighting and airstrikes, the city finally fell to the insurgents, leaving residents grappling with a new power structure and facing the prospect of more violence. From a military standpoint, the province is of lesser strategic importance. But Sar-i-Pul offers access to untapped natural resources, including oil fields that were recently drilled near the provincial capital and taken over by the Taliban.

Source: International New York Times August 08, 2021 18:11 UTC