After the expulsion of government forces, the Taliban gained control of Talaqan, the capital of Tkhar state, north of Avgasthan, at a time when the US Embassy in Kabul called for an immediate ceasefire.

After Kunduz in the north and Sari Bull in the northwest, this is the third city to be controlled by the Taliban, today, and the fifth since Friday.

The militant movement's attacks on Afghan state centres are accelerating, with the full American withdrawal from the country approaching the end of this month.

According to a security source in Talqan, "We withdrew from the city this afternoon after the government failed to send assistance."

In turn, one resident of the city confirmed that "we watched security forces and officials leave the city in convoys."

After heavy battles with Government forces, the Taliban had taken control in the early morning hours of the strategic town of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan and in the afternoon hours managed to capture Sari Bull.

In recent days, the Taliban have intensified their attacks on northern territories outside their traditional strongholds in the south, but the movement is rapidly gaining ground in the north, especially on Afghanistan's borders with its neighbours and business partners in Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

Afghan Government forces have largely abandoned the countryside to the militants, but are now defending cities throughout the country, which are gradually falling into Taliban hands.

Friday, the Taliban captured the first capital of Zaring State in Nimruz and then the next day on Shpurgan in Jowzjan.

In response to these developments, the US Embassy in Kabul tweeted: "If the Taliban claim that they want international legitimacy, the ongoing attacks will not get them the legitimacy they desire."

She said: "They must devote their energy to the peace process, not to the military campaign."

The American Embassy called for an immediate ceasefire.