Afghan government forces have struggled against Taliban assaults on several major cities as the insurgents stepped up a nationwide offensive that saw a key airport in the south come under rocket fire overnight.
Hundreds of commandos were deployed to the western city of Herat while authorities in the southern city of Lashkar Gah called for more troops to rein in the assaults on Sunday.
Fighting has surged across the country in the months since early May when US-led foreign forces began a final withdrawal from Afghanistan that is now almost complete.
After seizing large tracts of rural territory and capturing key border crossings, the Taliban have started to besiege provincial capitals.
Rockets strike Kandahar airport
At least three rockets struck Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan overnight, an official said on Sunday, as the Taliban pressed on with their sweeping offensive across the country.
“Last night three rockets were fired at the airport and two of them hit the runway… Due to this all flights from the airport have been cancelled,” airport chief Massoud Pashtun said.
Pashtun said work to repair the runway was underway and expected the airport to be operational later on Sunday.
An official at the civil aviation authority in Kabul confirmed the rocket attack.
The facility is vital to maintaining the logistical and air support needed to keep the Taliban from overrunning the city, while also providing aerial cover for large tracts of southern Afghanistan.
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