"Afghan army troops retake control of key areas from Taliban"

Afghan officials say government forces have launched an operation to retake a key border crossing with Pakistan from Taliban militants. Heavy fighting is going on in the Spin Boldak border crossing as Taliban insurgents have reportedly taken shelter in civilian homes. The border point provides direct access to Pakistan's Balochistan province. That’s where the Taliban's top leadership has been based for decades now. The crossing fell to the Taliban earlier this week. The militant group has also captured Afghan border crossings with Iran and Turkmenistan. They stepped up their attacks in May, taking control of a swath of territories in Afghanistan. The military has pledged to retake all those areas.