Anti-War Protests Continue As The Taliban Advances In Afghanistan

Demonstrations known as the Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest) protests took place in a number of Afghan provinces on August 5. Participants waved Afghan national flags and spoke of their readiness to sacrifice to defend “their land, their flag,” and the government-controlled security forces. The rallies, largely seen as anti-Taliban protests, began on August 2 in Herat Province and have since spread to other parts of the country. On August 6, Taliban fighters entered the provincial hub of Zaranj in Nimroz Province, prompting the Kabul-backed governor and other senior officials to flee. Zaranj is the first major population center to fall to the Taliban since it began an all-out offensive four months ago.