The resurgent Taliban have taken more territory in Afghanistan in the last two months than at any time since they were ousted from power in 2001.
Over the last 20 years, the control map of Afghanistan has been an ever-changing canvas. Here, we look at the fluctuating picture of who controls which areas.
It appears the Taliban have been emboldened in recent weeks by the withdrawal of US troops - retaking many districts from government forces and capturing a number of provincial capitals.
The northern cities of Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul, Taloqan and Sheberghan fell to the Taliban in quick succession, as well as Zaranj in the south west.
Research from the BBC Afghan service shows the militants now have a strong presence across the country, including in the north and north-east and central provinces like Ghazni and Maidan Wardak. They are also closing in on Herat in the west, and the southern cities of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah.
By control, we mean districts where the administrative centre, police headquarters and all other government institutions are controlled by the Taliban. (Source: BBC website, headline composed by Newsroom, photo from Google)
Comments