Taliban fighters have taken their 10th provincial capital on their surge towards Afghanistan's capital.
On Thursday insurgents took Ghazni, just 80 miles south-west of Kabul, posting videos of themselves on the city's streets unopposed.
There are warnings Kabul could fall within the next 90 days, with the hardline Islamist group now controlling around 65% of the country.
The latest advance comes as intense fighting has broken out on the streets of Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city which is situated 480km (300 miles) south-west of the capital.
Civilians are fleeing violence there as the Taliban threatens to take control of the region.
The city's Sarposa prison has been overrun, with the Taliban releasing around 1,000 prisoners - thought to have been held on political grounds.
Taliban officials said that it is now in control of the facility, with staff surrendering and offering up their ammunition.
An aid worker in the area told Reuters that "fighting did not stop until 4am and then after the first prayers, it started up again", while a doctor said the hospital has seen scores of bodies of armed forces members and wounded Taliban fighters as a result of the "extremely intense" fighting.
In Ghazni Afghan officials told the Associated Press news agency Taliban fighters were raising their flags and the city had calmed after hours of heavy fighting.
The battle for control of Lashkar Gah, west of Kandahar in Helmand Province, continues too - where the Taliban have captured a police headquarters.
Access roads to Kabul through nearby valleys were packed with civilians trying to get into the city amid the rapid gains made by the Taliban, but there are fears that suicide bombers and insurgents could be among them.
On Wednesday, David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, warned the West not to take its eyes off Afghanistan as the Taliban's forces continue to make gains after British and US troops were withdrawn.
The former British foreign secretary said: "The time when troops were there was not used to develop a stable political settlement for the country and the great fear for the moment is that the gains being enjoyed by the people are on the rack."
Mr Miliband said 5,000 civilians were killed in the most recent fighting, 30,000 people a week are fleeing the country, and 350,000 people are homeless.
He added the refugee danger is "real and present" to neighbouring states, with 100,000 leaving Afghanistan each month and going into Pakistan and Iran.
The US Air Force appears to be carrying out air strikes to support Afghan forces, with data suggesting that B-52 bombers and F-15 jets were among the aircraft involved in fighting overnight.
However, it is not clear what casualties or damage the strikes caused.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2ZpZ2h0LWZvci1jb250cm9sLW9mLWFmZ2hhbmlzdGFuLWFzLXRhbGliYW4tc3VyZ2UtYWR2YW5jZXMtdG93YXJkcy1rYWJ1bC0xMjM3OTMyNNIBcGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9maWdodC1mb3ItY29udHJvbC1vZi1hZmdoYW5pc3Rhbi1hcy10YWxpYmFuLXN1cmdlLWFkdmFuY2VzLXRvd2FyZHMta2FidWwtMTIzNzkzMjQ?oc=5
2021-08-12 10:53:10Z
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