ON THE RUN

Hundreds of Afghan Troops Flee the Country as Taliban Advances

The Taliban has secured a third of Afghan districts as the U.S. military’s departure has left a power vacuum in the region.

On Saturday evening, more than 300 Afghan troops rushed towards the Tajikistan border in an effort to flee the Taliban and Tajikistan officials allowed them to cross safely, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. As U.S.-led forces have left the region, the Taliban has become more brazen in their efforts to capture territory. They now control a third of all district centers in Afghanistan as hundreds of Afghan law enforcement officials have surrendered their posts. Most of the Taliban's efforts to capture territory were done so without much of a fight from opposing forces, according to Afghan officials. President Biden's desire to end “forever wars” in the region has created a power vacuum as countries like China look to fill the void left by the U.S., even as the Taliban’s power in the region continues to grow. Other U.S. allies including Germany, Italy and Australia removed their forces from the region last week.