Taliban militants have taken control of Afghanistan's borders with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Russia's Kommersant daily reported on Wednesday, citing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, heightening security concerns for Moscow.

Shoigu said the Taliban have promised not to cross the border, but that Moscow would continue holding joint drills with its allies in the region.

Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan and the former Soviet republic is a member of a Moscow-led military bloc, meaning that Moscow would be obliged to protect it in the event of invasion. Uzbekistan also has close ties with Russia.

Russia held drills with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan near the Afghan border this month. Russia has also reinforced its military base in Tajikistan with new armored vehicles and firearms. 

Taliban taken nine provincial capitals: report

"Taliban militants overran Pul-e-Khumri city, capital of northern Baghlan province, and Faizabad city, capital of neighboring Badakhshan province, on Tuesday evening," reported Tolo News TV channel on Wednesday.

The Afghan government has not confirmed or denied the report so far.

With the fall of the two cities, the Taliban militants have taken control over nine provincial capitals, out of 34 provincial centers.

The said cities have been the scene of heavy clashes in recent weeks as government security forces continued heavy fighting to prevent the Taliban from advancing.

Earlier on Wednesday, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani traveled to Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of northern Balkh province. A security meeting was underway in the city. Taliban militants have a presence around the city as they try to capture it.

Security in the war-torn country has deteriorated as Taliban militants continue heavy fighting against government forces and gain ground since the drawdown of U.S. troops from May 1.

In Afghanistan's capital Kabul, thousands of displaced families arrived from the northern region, living in open grounds and public parks.

Since the start of the year, nearly 360,000 people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict, and about 5 million people have been displaced since 2012, according to figures provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan.

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(Cover: Afghan Commando forces are seen at the site of a battlefield where they clashed with Taliban insurgents in Kunduz province, Afghanistan, June 22, 2021. /Reuters)

(With input from Reuters, Xinhua)