Afghan crisis: Regrouping of armed forces top priority, says President Ghani

Kabul: Breaking the short silence since the Taliban took a major lead in recent days, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said regrouping of the country's armed forces was a top priority as the Taliban continued their attack on the country.

In a pre-recorded statement, Ghani said that his aim is to prevent further instability, violence and displacement of people.

"I understand that you are worried about your future, I assure you as your president that I will concentrate on preventing expansion of instability, violence and displacement of my people", Ghani said while addressing the Afghan public on Saturday.

He stated that he would not allow Afghans to be killed and their properties destroyed in an imposed war, thus losing out on the gains earned over the past 20 years.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan, and thereby moving closer to Kabul on Saturday now battling government forces just 11 kilometres south of Kabul.

A local provincial council member said that the rebels captured Pul-e-Alam, about 70 km (40 mi) from Kabul and the capital of Logar province.

Ghani and other top officials have remained largely silent on the rebels' recent gains. Ghani's last public appearance was on August 11 in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where rebels launched a multi-pronged attack early Saturday.egrouping of armed forces top priority: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghan