**Taliban Fighters Gather Near Pakistan Border, Pakistan Says**
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan’s military said on Sunday that thousands of Taliban fighters were gathering near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, raising fears that the militants could infiltrate Pakistan and carry out attacks.
A spokesman for the Pakistani military said that the Taliban fighters were gathering in the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan, which border Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The spokesman said that the Pakistani military was monitoring the situation and that it was prepared to take action if the Taliban fighters attempted to cross the border.
The Pakistani military’s statement came as the Taliban continued to make gains in Afghanistan. The Taliban have now taken control of more than half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals, including the cities of Kandahar and Herat.
The Taliban’s rapid advance has raised concerns that the group could eventually take control of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.
The United States and other Western countries have been urging the Taliban to halt its offensive and to negotiate a peace settlement with the Afghan government.
However, the Taliban has so far refused to negotiate, and it is unclear whether the group is willing to share power with the Afghan government.
The Taliban’s gathering near the Pakistan border is a reminder of the close ties between the two countries.
The Taliban has long been supported by Pakistan, and many of the group’s leaders have been based in Pakistan.
Pakistan has also been accused of providing safe havens for the Taliban, and of allowing the group to use Pakistani territory to launch attacks on Afghanistan.
Pakistan denies these accusations, but it is clear that the country has a vested interest in the outcome of the conflict in Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s gathering near the Pakistan border is a sign that the group is preparing for a long and bloody fight.
It is also a reminder of the challenges that Pakistan faces as it tries to balance its own security interests with the need to maintain stability in Afghanistan.
**Timeline of Taliban Advance**
**May 1, 2021:** The United States begins withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan.
**June 6, 2021:** The Taliban launches a major offensive against the Afghan government.
**July 2, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Zaranj, the first provincial capital to fall to the group.
**July 12, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Kunduz, the second provincial capital to fall to the group.
**July 21, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Herat, the third provincial capital to fall to the group.
**July 26, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Kandahar, the fourth provincial capital to fall to the group.
**August 1, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Lashkar Gah, the fifth provincial capital to fall to the group.
**August 8, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Ghazni, the sixth provincial capital to fall to the group.
**August 13, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the seventh provincial capital to fall to the group.
**August 15, 2021:** The Taliban captures the city of Kabul, the eighth provincial capital to fall to the group.
The Taliban now controls more than half of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals. It is unclear whether the group will be able to take control of Kabul, but if it does, it will be a major victory for the Taliban and a significant setback for the Afghan government and its international backers..
