Taliban fighters entered the palace of General Dostum.
Taliban fighters entered the palace of General Dostum.
@Fahadalimansha/Twitter
  • Taliban fighters have seized the palace of a US-allied Afghan warlord General Dostum.
  • Insurgents can be seen sitting on the gold furniture and pretending to drink from a gold tea set.
  • General Dostum had been among the Taliban's fiercest enemies.
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Taliban fighters have entered the palace of a prominent Afghan warlord and US ally as they captured the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan.

Videos circulating on social media online show the fighters entering the ostentatious property of General Abdul Rashid Dostum.

The insurgents can be seen sitting on the opulent furniture and pretending to drink from a gold tea set.

Taliban forces entered Mazar-i-Sharif almost unopposed as security forces escaped towards Uzbekistan, provincial officials said, according to Al Arabiya.

General Dostum, 67, is one of the country's most notorious regional strongmen and had been among the Taliban's fiercest enemies, according to Al Arabiya.

The ethnic Uzbek militia leader had been involved in wars in Afghanistan since the Soviet invasion in the 1970s and was a key ally to the US after 9/11.

During his time as a warlord, Dostum's forces were linked with war crimes, including allegedly crushing prisoners alive beneath the wheels of a tank, according to The Daily Mail.

Despite his brutality, his military acumen made him an invaluable ally in fighting the Taliban.

General Dostum had just returned from medical treatment in Turkey on Wednesday and headed to join the battle for Mazar-i-Sharif.

Dostum was not at the property when the Taliban entered, and is safe, reports say.

The Taliban have continued their offensive across the country, with the latest reports stating they have begun entering the capital Kabul.

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