Afghanistan: Fighting rages as Taliban besiege three key cities

Fighting is raging around three major cities in southern and western Afghanistan as Taliban militants seek to seize them from government forces.Taliban fighters have entered parts of Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar.They have made rapid gains in rural areas since it was announced almost all foreign troops would go by September.But the fate of these key cities could be crucial amid fears of a humanitarian crisis and how long government forces will be able to hold out.The fundamentalist Islamist militia is already thought to have captured up to half of all Afghanistan’s territory, including lucrative border crossings with Iran and Pakistan.In Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern province of Helmand, a local source said insurgents were only a few hundred metres from the governor’s office on Saturday.They had also come close to it on Friday, but the commander of Afghan forces said they had inflicted significant casualties on the militants, who were forced to retreat overnight.