Capture of Zaranj

Capture of Zaranj
	Part of 2021 Taliban offensive
	; Map of 2021 Taliban Offensive around Zaranj on 7 August; Grey: Taliban-controlled territory ; Pink: Territory controlled by the Afghan government ; Yellow: Unclear/contested
Date	6 August 2021
Location	Zaranj, Afghanistan
Result	Taliban victory Afghan government officials and security forces either surrendered or fled to Iran and other neighbouring provinces;
Belligerents
Taliban	Afghanistan
Commanders and leaders
Abdul Khaliq †; (Taliban's governor for Nimruz province); Abdul-Haq Abid; (Taliban commander); Muhammad Ayubi; (Taliban commander)	Unknown
Units involved
Taliban forces	Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) Afghan National Army's 215th Corps; Afghan Air Force; National Directorate of Security (NDS)
Casualties and losses
Minor casualties (according to the Taliban)	NDS personnel defending the city surrendered

The capture of Zaranj, the capital of Nimruz Province, Afghanistan, by the Taliban occurred on 6 August 2021. According to local officials, only the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and its forces had put up a fight against the Taliban, but they too eventually surrendered to the Taliban. Local officials had been requesting reinforcements but received no response. Zaranj was the first provincial capital to be taken by the Taliban in their 2021 offensive and the first one to be captured since Kunduz in 2016.

The Taliban faced little to no resistance while capturing the city of Zaranj. The Afghan government officials and security forces either surrendered or fled to Iran or neighbouring Afghan provinces.