An Afghan general has warned of “devastating” consequences for global security if the Taliban win in their fight against government forces.
General Sami Sadat is leading the battle against the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand, where intense fighting has broken out in its capital Lashkar Gah.
The Taliban have seized districts in the city centre.
But Gen Sadat said he was confident the group would not take the city.
He told the BBC that while ground had been lost, he believed the Taliban would be unable to sustain their assault.
However, he said the Taliban were being reinforced by fighters from other Islamist groups and warned that their gains posed a threat beyond Afghanistan.
“This will increase the hope for small extremist groups to mobilise in the cities of Europe and America, and will have a devastating effect on global security,” he said.
“This is not a war of Afghanistan, this is a war between liberty and totalitarianism.”
The Taliban assault in Helmand province is part of a major offensive across Afghanistan.
The militants have made rapid advances in recent months as US forces have withdrawn after 20 years of military operations in the country.
Helmand was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign, and Taliban gains there would be a blow for the Afghan government.
If Lashkar Gah fell, it would be the first provincial capital won by the Taliban since 2016. It is one of three provincial capitals under attack.
