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Helmand Province District 'On Verge' Of Being Overrun By Afghan Taliban


Members of the Afghan security forces stand around a lightly armored vehicle during an operation against Taliban fighters in Helmand Province in December 2015.
Members of the Afghan security forces stand around a lightly armored vehicle during an operation against Taliban fighters in Helmand Province in December 2015.

An Afghan Army commander says a key district in the southern province of Helmand is on the verge of being overrun by the Taliban.

The unidentified commander told the BBC that most of the Sangin district had been captured by the militants.

He said the government still controls a few key locations in the district’s main city, Sangin, but warned that those areas are under imminent threat.

The commander said repeated Taliban attacks on government positions had killed a number of soldiers in recent days.

He also claimed there had been no reinforcements for days and rations are low.

Last month, Helmand's police chief, Abdul Rahman Sarjang, said the Kabul government had sent reinforcements to the districts of Gereshk, Marjeh, and Sangin amid reports that the Taliban were threatening to capture them.

Based on reporting by the BBC
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