Afghan government seeks to hold capital as Taliban extend capture of cities

General view of the consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 30, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

KABUL (Reuters) -The territory controlled by the crumbling Afghan government shrank to little more than Kabul on Sunday after the Taliban captured the major northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif while the United States sent more troops to help evacuate its civilians.

The hardline militants have swept through the country in recent weeks as U.S.-led forces withdrew. The Taliban campaign accelerated to lightning speed in the last week, shocking Western countries, and the Afghan military's defences appeared to collapse.