Afghan security forces have “tactically retreated” from a key district in the southern province of Helmand that foreign troops battled for years to secure, as the Taliban make a late summer push to expand areas they control in a traditional stronghold.

The Taliban have made a grab to secure territory in the north and south this summer, but despite some gains, have struggled to hold ground, even though most foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2014. Officials in Helmand said security forces had shifted the Naw Zad district governor’s office to a safer location about three kilometres away to avoid civilian casualties during Taliban attacks, and that they had retained control of the district.

“The previous compound was surrounded by civilian homes and civilians could be harmed during Taliban attacks,” said Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the Helmand governor.

A senior provincial government source said the Taliban had occupied the compound and the surrounding area.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmad said the militants made “thousands of police and army forces” leave the district after heavy fighting late on Monday. “We have control of the district,” he said.

Small towns in the fertile Helmand river valley saw some of the heaviest fighting by British and US troops against the Taliban before foreign forces largely withdrew from combat missions.

US soldiers used a drone strike against “individuals threatening the force”, on Monday in Wardak Province. Afghan media reports said drone strikes in Wardak killed seven insurgents on Monday.

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