Strategic Afghan City On Verge Of Falling To Taliban

There was fierce fighting in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province with reports that Taliban fighters were on the verge of capturing the strategic city of Sangin. Afghan troops also fired on Taliban positions near the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah as Helmand's governor warned the situation risked slipping out of control. He said Taliban fighters had surrounded Sangin's police compound and had taken control of most government buildings. Britain rushed a small team of military advisers to Helmand after ending combat operations in the province last year. The fighting comes a day after a Taliban suicide bomber killed six U.S. troops on December 21 near a military base in Kabul. (Reuters)