Civilians who worked with NZDF, plead with Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, to help them escape the Taliban. Video / Supplied
The United States has told American citizens to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban captured a second provincial capital in less than 24 hours.
Pro-Taliban sources on claimed the hardline Islamist group had captured government offices in the northern city of Sheberghan and freed all detainees in the city's prison, in a major blow to Afghan government forces.
Video posted on social media appeared to show hundreds of people leaving the jail.
Government officials confirmed the city had fallen, although there were reports of resistance continuing in some parts of the town.
"The [government] forces and officials have retreated to the airport," said Qader Malia, the deputy governor of Jowzyan province.
Sherberghan, the capital of the northern province of Jowzyan, is the traditional stronghold of Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former vice president of Afghanistan and warlord whose followers formed a key element in the US-led alliance that toppled the Taliban in 2001.
A group of Afghan civilians who worked with NZDF forces in Bamyan Province during the war are calling for the government to protect them from the Taliban who are on the offensive. Photo / Supplied
Forces loyal to him were understood to have been leading the resistance to Taliban attacks during several days of fighting for control of the city.
Aides to Mr Dostum said he was meeting with Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan, to request the government fly in reinforcements.
"We have demanded the government deploys at least 500 commandos so we could work to retake the city," his party's spokesman, Ehsan Niro, said.
Stranded people gather and wait to open the border which was closed by authorities, in Chaman, Pakistan, as they flee the advance of the Taliban. Photo / AP
The fall of Sheberghan came just hours after police on Friday (local time) confirmed militants had taken over Zaranj, the capital of the southwestern province of Nimroz.
It's deputy governor said the city on the Iranian border fell "without a fight." Local police blamed a lack of reinforcements from the government in Kabul.
Zaranj and Sheberghan are the first provincial capitals the Taliban has controlled since the US-led invasion ended the group's five-year rule in 2001.
Afghan security personnel patrol after they took back control of parts of Herat city following fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces in Herat province, west of Kabul. Photo / AP
The Taliban has made significant progress since it launched a nationwide offensive after Nato forces began withdrawing from the country after more than 20 years earlier this summer.
American forces are continuing to provide some air support to government forces, but it is unclear how long that will continue, or whether it will be sufficient to reverse recent Taliban gains.
On Friday a Taliban ambush in Kabul killed Dawa Khan Menapal, director of Afghanistan's Government Information Media Centre.
On the same day, Afghan government forces said they had recaptured parts of the city of Herat in heavy fighting.
Afghan honour guards honour Dawa Khan Menapal, director of Afghanistan's Government Information Media Centre who was shot and killed in Kabul by the Taliban. Photo / AP
The US embassy in Kabul on Saturday urged all American citizens to leave the country as quickly as possible.
"Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy's ability to assist US citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul," it said in a statement on Saturday morning.
"The Embassy reiterates that US citizens should leave Afghanistan as soon as possible using available commercial transportation and not plan to rely on US government flights," it said.
Britain advised all UK citizens to leave Afghanistan on Friday evening.
