The Taliban in their overnight offensives have fully captured five major provincial capitals in Afghanistan, including Kandahar, Herat, Qala-e-Naw, Lashkar Gah and Ghazni.

The Taliban through formal statements have claimed capturing these new cities and the Kabul government has not challenged these claims.

The Taliban confirmed that they have arrested Herat’s former governor, warlord Ismail Khan, along with several of his top aides.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said, in a statement issued today, their latest advances have established control over 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces during the past week.

Zabihullah Mujahid, in a tweet, further said that they also captured capital of southern Uruzgan province Tirin Kot and capital of western Ghor province Firoz Koah.

He also said most parts of Pul-e-Alam, capital of eastern Logar province, have also fallen to Taliban.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said, in a statement today, that at least 21 Taliban militants were killed following an airstrike in the outskirts of provincial capital Pul-e-Alam.