Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan

The Taliban, an Islamist political group, has stepped up attempts to control key cities in Afghanistan in recent months. In August, the Taliban briefly took control of the city of Ghazni, just south of the capital, Kabul. The city was quickly retaken by the Afghan military.

Taliban militants attacked the city of Sar-e Pul, in the north, on Sept. 9, killing at least 17 members of the local security forces during an assault that lasted more than 24 hours. Officials claimed that at least 39 Taliban militants had also been killed in the assault.

At press time, the Taliban were in control of more regions of Afghanistan than they had been since the Afghan War began in 2001. It is estimated that the Taliban have complete control of up to 4% of the country, while the Afghan government completely controls only 30%. The Taliban's presence is most heavy in southern and western Afghanistan.

According to the United Nations, more than 10,000 civilians were killed or injured in Afghanistan in 2017, with estimates for 2018 even higher.