The White House on Friday urged the Taliban to focus on peace talks hours after insurgents murdered the head of the Afghan government's media center and captured their first provincial capital.
The Islamist forces have made rapid gains across the country ever since President Biden announced he was bringing U.S. troops home.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki condemned the killing of Dawa Khan Menapal, director of the Government Media and Information Centre, and other attacks on officials.
'Our view is that if the Taliban claim to want international legitimacy these actions are not going to get them the legitimacy they seek,' she said during the regular daily briefing.
'They do not have to stay on this trajectory. They can choose to devote the same energy to the peace process as they are to their military campaign.
'We strongly urge them to do so. This is what the Afghan people so urgently need, deserve after decades of war.'
White House Press Secretary urged the Taliban to 'strongly consider' putting more energy into stalled peace talks - even as they continue their march across the country and U.S. forces complete their withdrawal. On Friday the Taliban captured their first provincial capital
Dawa Khan Menapal, director of Afghanistan's government media center, was ambushed and killed on Friday in the latest killing of an official just days after an assassination attempt on the country's acting defense minister
Afghan security officials patrol Herat after they recaptured parts of city after an intense battle with Taliban fighters this week. Heavy fighting continues around a string of key cities
Smoke rises from the city of Lashkar Gah after airstrikes against Taliban in Helmand province southern of Kabul, as U.S. warplanes fly in support of Afghan government forces
U.S. troops are scheduled to complete their withdrawal by August 31, leaving Afghan government forces to battle insurgents emboldened by what they see as victory.
Leading experts on the country said the Taliban had no interest in talks.
'These vacuous sentiments indicate that the White House is completely out of touch with what is happening in Afghanistan,' said Toby Harnden, whose book First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11, is published next month.
