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The Battle of Gardez was a military engagement between the Taliban forces and Afghan government forces over the control of Gardez, capital of Paktia province. Taliban launched assault on the capital on 9 August and managed to occupy the city by 14 August. The Taliban spokesman said the Taliban, after capturing the city, were now advancing towards the base of the 203rd Thunder Corps, the army unit that was defending Gardez. Later that day, the 203rd Thunder Corps surrendered to the Taliban.

Battle of Mazar-i-Sharif
The Battle of Mazar-i-Sharif was a military engagement between the Taliban forces and Afghan government forces over the control of Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh province. The Taliban besieged the city by 22 June reached its entrance before retreating to their previous positions outside the city. The Taliban spokesman said that their fighters had retreated because the top leadership did not wish to seize provincial capitals until all U.S. forces had left. The Taliban started attacking the provincial capital on 9 August and eventually managed to occupy the capital by 14 August. The 209th Corps and pro-government militia, defending the capital, surrendered on 14 August.

Abas Ebrahimzada, a lawmaker from the Balkh province, said the national army surrendered first which caused the pro-government militia and other forces to lose morale and surrender in the face of Taliban assault on the city. Following the loss of the city, Atta Muhammad Nur stated in a Facebook post that his defeat in Mazar-i-Sharif was planned and held the government forces responsible for the defeat. He did not specify who was behind the conspiracy, nor provide any detail other than saying that he and Dostum are in a safe place.

Background
Since the start of the offensive, the Taliban have prioritised targeting the northern Afghanistan as the region has long been considered an anti-Taliban stronghold and offered some of the most stiffest resistance to Taliban's rule in the 1990s. Mazar-i-Sharif is the largest city in the northern Afghanistan and is considered a linchpin to the Afghan government’s control over the area. Loss of the city would mean loss of Afghan government's control over the the northern Afghanistan.

Battle
By 22 June, Taliban had besieged the city of Mazar-i-Sharif and reached its entrance before retreating to their previous positions outside the city. The Taliban spokesman said that their fighters had retreated because the top leadership did not wish to seize provincial capitals until all U.S. forces had left.

On 5 August, Taliban switched their strategy from targeting rural areas to attacking provincial capitals.

From 7 to 8 August, Taliban had captured Jowzjan, Kunduz and Sar-i-Pul provinces. This allowed Taliban to position themselves in a way to attack Mazar-i-Sharif from two different directions: Sar-i-Pul and Jowzjan in the west, and Kunduz in the east.

On 9 August, Taiban spokesman announced that they had set their sight on Mazar-e-Sharif and had launched a four-pronged attack on the city. However, the residents and officials in the city say the Taliban are exaggerating and fighting was limited to surrounding districts. The attack was repulsed by the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) on 10 August, according to the governor of Balkh province Mohammad Farhad Azimi. Azimi also said the ANDSF had recaptured Nahr-e-Shahi district which is adjacent to Mazar-i-Sharif.

On 11 August, the-then Prime minister of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, visited Mazar-i-Sharif and held talks with Atta Mohammad Noor and Abdul Rashid Dostum regarding the defence of the city. His visit was overshadowed by the mass surrender of hundreds of Afghan soldiers in nearby Kunduz.

On 14 August, Taliban captured the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Afzal Hadid, head of the Balkh provincial council, said the city appeared to have fallen largely without a fight, although sporadic clashes were continuing nearby. Afghan national army surrendered after the Taliban broke through the front lines and Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad Nur, along with thousands of fighters loyal to them, fled to Uzbekistan. Abas Ebrahimzada, a lawmaker from the Balkh province, said the national army surrendered first which caused the pro-government militia and other forces to lose morale and surrender in the face of Taliban assault on the city.

Aftermath
Following the loss of the city, Atta Muhammad Nur stated in a Facebook post that his defeat in Mazar-i-Sharif was planned and held the government forces responsible for the defeat. He did not specify who was behind the conspiracy, nor provide any detail other than saying that he and Dostum are in a safe place. Nur stated on Twitter, "Despite our firm resistance, sadly, all the government and the #ANDSF equipments were handed over to the #Taliban as a result of a big organised & cowardly plot. They had orchestrated the plot to trap Marshal Dostum and myself too, but they didn't succeed."

Issues
Mohammad Ibrahim Khairandesh, a former provincial council member, said the Afghan national army is not fighting and it is only the militia loyal to Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad Nur who are defending the city.