Local officials said that the district governor’s compound in Jalrez district in Maidan Wardak and the police headquarters have fallen to the Taliban after heavy attacks by the group for the last three days.

Mohammad Sardar Bakhtiari, deputy chairman of Maidan Wardak provincial council, confirms that Jalrez district has fallen and more than 40 security forces have surrendered to the Taliban.

An MP from the province, Mahdi Rasikh, also confirmed the incident.

Rasikh said that some members of the government forces were captured by the Taliban after their attack on the district.

Rasikh said that at least seven security force members were killed in the Taliban attack on the district, adding that some soldiers are missing.

“This morning, Jalrez district fell to the Taliban and more than 69 security forces with their equipment and all vehicles, hundreds of weapons and combat facilities were sized by the enemy,” Rasikh added.

Rashid added that the district remained under siege by the Taliban for the last two years.

He reiterated that “no action was taken by the central government to help the district” during heavy fighting in the last three days.

Taliban has claimed that they have captured the district.

Jalrez is located in the west of Maidan Wardak province. It lies 62 kilometers southwest of Kabul.

Ministry of Defense claims that at least 10 Taliban were killed in an airstrike in Jalrez district of Maidan Wardak province today at 1:48 pm, adding that the operations of ANDSF continue in Jalrez and the district will be cleared off soon.

This is the second district in Maidan Wardak that falls to the Taliban in less than two weeks.

On Thursday, Dawlat Shah district in Laghman was captured by the Taliban, according to the local officials and lawmakers from the province, but the Defense Ministry said that the security forces made a tactical retreat in the district.

The ministry also claimed that the Taliban have suffered heavy casualties in the district.