Afghan forces have battled to stop the first major city from falling to the Taliban following weekend offensives by the terror group in a sharp escalation of conflict.
Taliban fighters assaulted at least three provincial capitals overnight - Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and Herat - after a weekend of heavy fighting that saw thousands of civilians flee the advancing militants.
Fighting raged in Helmand's provincial capital Lashkar Gah, where the Taliban launched coordinated attacks on the city centre and its prison - just hours after the government announced the deployment of hundreds of commandos to the area.
An Afghan Air Force's helicopter rovers near the Afghan Parliament house in Kabul today as conflict escalates with the Taliban
Afghan security officials arrive as part of a reinforcement to fight against Taliban militants as they push to gain access to the city in Herat
Clashes have intensified since early May, with the insurgents capitalising on the final stages of the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces after almost 20 years.
As the country's security forces struggled to keep the Taliban at bay, President Ashraf Ghani blamed Washington on Monday for Afghanistan's deteriorating security.
'The reason for our current situation is that the decision was taken abruptly,' Ghani told parliament, referring to the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Ghani said he had warned Washington that the withdrawal would have 'consequences'.
A market is closed over security fears as Taliban attacked parts of the city in Lashkar Gah on Monday
A sniper keeps a watch from the roof of the parliament building before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani arrives at parliament
Security officials and pro-government private militia arrive as part of a reinforcement to fight against Taliban militants
In southern Afghanistan, fighting continued in Lashkar Gah overnight as Afghan forces beat back a fresh assault from the Taliban.
'Afghan forces on the ground and by air strikes repelled the attack,' the military in Helmand said.
Resident Hawa Malalai warned of a growing crisis in the city: 'There is fighting, power cuts, sick people in hospital, the telecommunication networks are down. There are no medicines and pharmacies are closed.'
Helmand for years was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign in Afghanistan - only for it to slip deeper into instability.
The vast poppy fields in the province provide the lion's share of the opium for the international heroin trade - making it a lucrative source of tax and cash for the Taliban.
Security officials check people on a roadside checkpoint in Kandahar after thousands were evacuated from their homes
