Taliban fighters seized a district in the northern province of Baghlan on Tuesday and kept up pressure on the central city of Ghazni as heavy fighting continued across Afghanistan following the start of the insurgents' annual spring offensive last month.
Police officials said security forces had abandoned the district center of Tala-wa Bafrak after becoming cut off from supplies during days of fighting.
"The Taliban have been attacking the district for a few days and at 11 a.m. we had to retreat," said provincial police spokesman Zabihullah Shuja.