Taliban claim of controlling 90pc of Afghan border is ‘lie’

The Taliban's claim to hold 90 percent of Afghanistan's borders is an "absolute lie", the defence ministry said yesterday, insisting government forces were in control of the country's frontiers. The Taliban's claim on Thursday came after the group captured key border crossings with Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Pakistan in recent weeks in a staggering offensive launched as US-led foreign forces began their final troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. According to an AFP report, the Afghan ministry insisted government forces were in control of the country's borders and all "main cities and highways".