Mazar falls quickly and quietly to Taliban in Afghanistan

Mazar falls quickly and quietly to Taliban in Afghanistan: MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan – The streets of Mazar-i-Sharif were empty when scores of Taliban fighters on bicycles swarmed through in a remarkably quiet takeover. I spent the day at a hotel with photographer Jake Simkin, trying to reach military contacts and assess the ongoing assault on this northern city. There was a lot of fighting, and we could see people fleeing. But everyone we were talking to said Mazar wasn’t going to fall. Around 8 p.m. local time, we ventured out to find some dinner. We both had a sense something was amiss on the deserted streets. We started to notice men riding around on bicycles.