 "Taliban capture Sharana, capital of Paktika province near Pakistan border")
An Afghan lawmaker says the Taliban have captured the capital of the Paktika province bordering Pakistan.
Khalid Asad, a lawmaker from the eastern province, says the local capital, Sharana, fell to the insurgents on Saturday.
The Taliban have rapidly advanced across northern, western and southern Afghanistan in recent weeks and now control most of the country's provincial capitals. The Taliban are currently battling government forces some 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of the capital, Kabul.
Their lightning advance comes less than three weeks before the U.S. plans to withdraw the last of its forces.
Taliban on Saturday also claimed control over Logar's provincial capital Pul-e-Alam city.
The spokesman of the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, tweeted that the building of the governor administration, the police headquarters, and other public buildings were under the control of the terrorist outfit, reported Sputnik.
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The terrorists also seized the armament of the government troops who switched sides.
Taliban terrorists have also seized Logar's provincial capital Pul-e-Alam city, 60 km south of Kabul, a local official said, reported Xinhua.
The official who declined to be named said that Pul-e-Alam had fallen to the control of the Taliban terrorists.
The Afghan government has yet to make comments, reported Xinhua.
In the meantime, a Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in his Twitter account "Abdul Qayum Rahimi, the governor for Logar province has joined the Mujahidin" and the city of Pul-e-Alam is in control of the Taliban.
The violence has dramatically increased in Afghanistan after the US and allies started to pull out troops, resulting in the terrorists seizing vast territories.
Meanwhile, the first group of US troops arrived at Kabul airport to help evacuate thousands of embassy personnel and other civilians from the capital of Afghanistan.
This comes as the Taliban has managed to get hold of half of the country's 34 provincial capitals and now control roughly two-thirds of Afghanistan with the complete pullback of foreign troops just two weeks away.
US President Joe Biden on Friday spoke with the country's top cabinet members about the ongoing drawdown of US civilian personnel from Afghanistan.