Kabul: The Taliban have taken over Ghazni province, making it the 10th province to fall in the past week as it continued its rapid advance capturing more territories across Afghanistan.
The Taliban have entered all government facilities in Ghazni in southeastern Afghanistan.
They allowed the provincial governor along with the head of national police to leave for Kabul, media reports said.
The bodyguards of Governor Daoud Laghmani were reportedly disarmed and were escorted to Kabul based on the agreement between the two sides.
The Afghan government has not confirmed the collapse of Ghazni province.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid in a Twitter post said that the fighters have gained control over the police headquarters, central prison, and other government facilities.
In another development, four government officials along with the provincial governor of Farah province surrendered to the Taliban and the militia claimed to have taken over the police headquarters in the province.
Fighting is raging between the Taliban and the Afghan forces in Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province.
The Lashkar Gah regional police headquarters have been taken by the militia,
On Wednesday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visited Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province and held discussions with senior Afghan political leaders Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Mohammad Noor on the escalating security situation.
The Afghan government also affected changes in the leadership of the security forces. Gen. Hibatullah Alizai, the commander of the Special Operations Corps, was appointed the chief of army staff, replacing Gen. Wali Ahmadzai.
While the commander of 215 Maiwand Corps, Gen. Sami Sadat, was appointed as commander of the Special Operations Corps, replacing Gen. Alizai.
On Tuesday, the Taliban gained control of Farah City and Pul-i-Khumri, the capitals of Farah and Baghlan provinces.
The Taliban are said to control 65 percent of the country.
Zaranj, capital of western Nimroz, Aybak, capital of northern Samangan, Taloqan, capital of northern Takhar, Sheberghan, capital of Jawzjan, and Sar-e-Pul, capital of northern Sar-e-Pul province so far fallen to the Taliban.
In another development, the Afghan government has offered the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) a share in power if it ends violence in the country, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday, citing a government source.
The proposal of the Kabul administration was delivered to the militant movement via Qatar, the host of the intra-Afghan negotiations.
