Residents in Kabul react to the fall of northern provincial capitals to the Islamist military group the Taliban.

According to reports, the militants took control of two more provincial capitals on Monday (August 9).

Mohammad Kazem, a Kunduz province resident, said: "You know better that the situation in Kunduz is bad. The war was going on. Kunduz finally fell. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the people of Kunduz, both financially and in terms of lives for the military and civilians.

"The National Security Office was set on fire, people's houses were set on fire and destroyed, both rockets and planes were fired."

Another Kunduz local named Fariba said: "The situation in Kunduz deteriorated completely.

"Initially we did not intend to leave, but we changed our mind when our house was close to the governor's office. When the airstrikes started, we left our houses and had to go out to Kabul to save our lives."

This footage was filmed on August 10.

This footage was filmed and produced 10 August 2021.

The Taliban took control of two more provincial capitals in Afghanistan on Monday, officials said. Their fall marked the latest development in a weekslong, relentless Taliban offensive as American and NATO forces finalize their pullout from the war-torn country.

The video shows interviews with Afghans reacting to the fall of northern provincial capitals.

Interviews:

1) Mohammad Kazem, resident of Kunduz province:
You know better that the situation in Kunduz is bad. The war was going on. Kunduz finally fell. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the people of Kunduz, both financially and in terms of lives for the military and civilians.
Cities burned, Kunduz crossroads caught fire, the National Security Office was set on fire, people's houses were set on fire and destroyed, both rockets and planes were fired. The people had lost their way, they don't know which way to go. There were four sides to the war.

2) Fariba:
The situation in Kunduz deteriorated completely. Initially we did not intend to leave, but we changed our mind when our house was close to the governor's office. When the airstrikes started, we left our houses and had to go out to Kabul to save our lives.

3) Momena, a resident of Kunduz province:
The war in Kunduz has been going on for three days now, but they have been fighting for two months. Air and ground aid did not reach the forces. Eventually, the government failed against the Taliban.