Afghanistan: Who controls what

Since the Taliban were removed from power in Afghanistan following an invasion by the United States in 2001, the armed group's control over parts of the country has fluctuated widely.

According to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), as of January 31,2018, 229 districts were under the Afghan government's control, which is about 56.3 percent of the total Afghan districts

On the other hand, 59 districts, approximately 14.5 percent of all, were under the Taliban control.

The remaining 119 districts, about 29.2 percent, remain contested - controlled by neither the Afghan government nor the rebels

In February 2018, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani invited Taliban to "unconditional" peace talks, offering to recognise it as a legitimate political force in the country's future

The Taliban ruled out any negotiation with the Kabul government, and offered to talk to US officials instead.