A resurgent Taliban has a significant presence across virtually all Afghanistan, eight years after a US-led invasion ousted the radical Islamist regime from power, a think-tank said yesterday.
The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) said the Taliban had widened its reach across Afghanistan since last November and now had a "permanent presence" in 80 per cent of the country.
"The unrelenting and disturbing return, spread and advance of the Taliban is now without question," said Norine MacDonald, president of the London-based policy research group.
ICOS released a map showing the spread of Taliban influence to previously peaceful regions in the west and the north, particularly Balkh and Kunduz provinces that lie on the Uzbek and Tajik borders.
Kunduz was the scene last week of a Nato air strike on Taliban militants who hijacked fuel trucks and where insurgents the following day kidnapped two journalists with the New York Times, one of whom was killed in a rescue raid.
ICOS said another 17 per cent of Afghanistan is seeing "substantial" Taliban activity, and added: "Taken together, these figures show that the Taliban has a significant presence in virtually all of Afghanistan." It defined "permanent" presence as an average of one or more attacks a week and "substantial" as one or more attacks in an average month.
The report comes as Afghanistan awaits results in August 20 presidential and provincial council elections, tainted by allegations of fraud with hundreds of thousands of ballots being quarantined and recounts ordered.
Results released gradually show President Hamid Karzai leading the count so far with more than 54 per cent against his main rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who has less than 30 per cent.
Preliminary results are due to be released today, with the international community urging officials to ensure a clean process that gives legitimacy to the victor and brings an end to the political uncertainty.
ICOS expressed concerns about a power vacuum in the case of a run-off, which could drag the process out for another six months or more.
"This raises the possibility of both a lack of legal authority in the presidency and resulting political instability and government paralysis dragging on for many months," said Ms MacDonald.