Ghazni is the tenth provincial capital to fall to the Taliban

On Thursday, the Taliban took control of a provincial capital near Kabul, making it the tenth province capital the insurgents have taken over a weeklong blitz across Afghanistan as the US and NATO prepare to leave the nation after decades of conflict.

The terrorists, according to the Associated Press, raised their white flags inscribed with an Islamic statement of faith over Ghazni, a city located 130 kilometers southwest of Kabul. Sporadic fighting persisted outside the city at an intelligence base and an army installation, according to two local officials.

Ghazni’s fall is another major blow for the Afghan government. The city is located on the Kabul-Kandahar Highway, which connects Afghanistan’s capital with the country’s southern provinces. This might make resupply and movement for government forces more difficult, as well as restricting access to the city from the south.