Saudi Gazette report

WASHINGTON — Top US officials spoke on Thursday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to stress that America remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan in the face of violence by the Taliban, the US Department of State said in a statement.

According to the statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin informed President Ghani that the United States is reducing its civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation and will accelerate the tempo of Special Immigration Visa (SIV) flights.

The secretaries emphasized that the United States remains committed to maintaining a strong diplomatic and security relationship with the government of Afghanistan, the statement read

"During the call, Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, and President Ghani exchanged views on the security environment in Afghanistan, efforts to curb violence, and ongoing diplomatic efforts. Secretary Blinken affirmed that the United States remained committed to supporting a political solution to the conflict," the statement added.

The talks between top US officials and the Afghan president coincide with reports of Kandahar, the second-largest city in Afghanistan, falling to the Taliban.

It's the twelfth provincial capital out of Afghanistan's 34 that the insurgents have taken in their weeklong blitz that swept over much of the country.

With the fall of Kandahar, the Afghan government is left with the capital Kabul and pockets of other territories under its control.

“Kandahar is completely conquered. The Mujahideen reached Martyrs’ Square in the city,” a Taliban spokesman tweeted on an officially recognized account, AFP reported.