Afghanistan's second largest city falls to Taliban

By Melissa Mahtani, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Tara John and Aditi Sangal, CNN

Updated 8:00 p.m. ET, August 13, 2021
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5:09 a.m. ET, August 13, 2021

UK defense chief worried about potential return of al Qaeda to Afghanistan

From Amy Cassidy in Glasgow, Scotland

UK defence secretary Ben Wallace is pictured at Downing Street in London, on February 3.
UK defence secretary Ben Wallace is pictured at Downing Street in London, on February 3. Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

UK defense secretary Ben Wallace on Friday said he is “absolutely worried" the al Qaeda terrorist group “will probably come back” to Afghanistan after the pullout of United States and British troops there is complete.

“Failed states are breeding grounds for those types of people, of course I'm worried," Wallace said on Sky News.

"It's why I said I felt this was not the right time or decision to make because, of course, al Qaeda will probably come back,” he added. 

Wallace's comments come as the Taliban, which remains close to al Qaeda, move ever closer to Kabul.

5:05 a.m. ET, August 13, 2021

Taliban takes Helmand province capital

Smoke rises from Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan after airstrikes against the Taliban on August 6.
Smoke rises from Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan after airstrikes against the Taliban on August 6. Abdul Khaliq/AP

Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistan's Helmand province, fell to the Taliban on Thursday night, the head of the Helmand Provincial Council, Attaullah Afghan, confirmed to CNN.

Afghan said the Taliban now controls the city's police headquarters, governor's office and central jail. The Taliban raised its flag in the governor’s office early on Friday, he added. 

 The government controls only an army base and a few other locations, Afghan said. 

5:02 a.m. ET, August 13, 2021

Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, falls to the Taliban

From CNN's Clarissa Ward in Kabul

A view of a closed market in Kandahar, Afghanistan on August 10.
A view of a closed market in Kandahar, Afghanistan on August 10. M Sadiq/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The Taliban has taken control of the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, Afghan Member of Parliament Gul Ahmad Kamin told CNN on Friday.

The Taliban said in a statement Friday that "during the conquest operation, the governor's office, police headquarters and many other centers in Kandahar city were cleared of the enemy last night and were under the control of Mujahidin."

"Hundreds of weapons, vehicles and ammunition were seized," the statement says.  

Kamin said he and many others have made their way to a military base by the airport and are awaiting a flight out.

"Many (government) soldiers surrendered and the rest fled," Kamin said.