The United States and Britain ordered Friday the deployment of thousands of troops to Afghanistan to evacuate their nationals, as the Taliban overran more key regional cities in an offensive that has left the capital dangerously exposed.

The orders came as the Taliban took control of Kandahar, the nation’s second biggest city in the insurgency’s heartland, leaving only Kabul and pockets of other territory in government hands.

“Kandahar is completely conquered. The Mujahideen reached Martyrs’ Square,” a Taliban spokesman tweeted on an officially recognised account, referring to a city landmark

The claim was backed up by officials and a residents, who told AFP government forces had withdrawn en masse to a military facility outside the southern city.

Hours later, the Taliban said they had also taken control of the Lashkar Gah, the capital of neighbouring Helmand province.

A security source confirmed the fall of the city, telling AFP that the Afghan military and government officials had evacuated the city after striking a local ceasefire deal with the militants.

The government has now effectively lost control of most of the country, following an eight-day blitz into urban centres by the Taliban that has also stunned Kabul’s American backers.

The offensive was launched in early May after the United States and its allies all but withdrew its forces from Afghanistan, with President Joe Biden determined to end two decades of war by September 11.

Biden has insisted he has no regrets with his decision, but the speed and ease of the Taliban’s urban victories in recent days has been a surprise and forced new calculations.

Washington and London announced plans late on Thursday to quickly pull out their embassy staff and other citizens from the capital

We are further reducing our civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, while noting the embassy would remain open.

“This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not the wholesale withdrawal.”

The Pentagon said 3,000 US troops would be deployed to Kabul within the next 24 to 48 hours, underscoring that they would not be used to launch attacks against the Taliban.

Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said London would send 600 of its troops to evacuate nationals and former Afghan staff.

Price said the United States would also start sending in daily flights to evacuate Afghan interpreters and others who assisted the Americans.