City of Kandahar falls to the Taliban - The Taliban fighters take southern city of Lashkar Gah following capture of Kandahar and Herat

Taliban fighters have taken the Afghan city of Lashkar Gah, following their capture of Kandahar and Herat, as the security situation in the country rapidly deteriorates.

A police official confirmed the capture of the city in the southern province of Helmand, with Afghan officials moving to Camp Bastion and about 1,500 soldiers surrendering.

It follows the announcement by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday morning that the UK is sending military personnel to help evacuate Britons from Afghanistan.

He said 600 troops will be sent to Kabul on a "short-term basis" in response to the increasing violence across the country. They are expected to arrive in the coming days.

Taliban forces took Kandahar and Herat - Afghanistan's second and third-largest cities respectively - on Thursday and US intelligence warned Kabul could fall within 90 days.

Taliban fighters rushed past the Great Mosque in the historic city of Herat - which dates to 500 BC and was once a spoil of Alexander the Great - and seized government buildings.

Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who is in Kabul, has said there are unconfirmed reports that the Taliban have captured Logar province, just 40 or 50 miles from the capital.

The capture of Kandahar marks the biggest prize yet for the Taliban, which has now taken 12 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals.

Officials said Kandahar fell last night and that government official and their entourage managed to flee to the airport to escape the city by air.

Atta Jan Haqbayan, the provincial council chief in Zabul, said the local capital of Qalat has fallen to the Taliban and officials are in a nearby army camp getting ready to leave.

Local officials are also reported to have surrendered Tirin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan.

Mr. Wallace said: "I have authorized the deployment of additional military personnel to support the diplomatic presence in Kabul, assist British nationals to leave the country, and support the relocation of former Afghan staff who risked their lives serving alongside us.

"The security of British nationals, British military personnel, and former Afghan staff is our first priority. We must do everything we can to ensure their safety."

The Ministry of Defence has characterized the move as part of the ongoing withdrawal of NATO forces, but in reality, it is an unplanned emergency response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban rampages across the country.

The British soldiers will also assist with the acceleration of the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy.

The number of staff working at the British Embassy in Kabul has also been significantly reduced to a "core group", the government has announced - the remaining staff will focus on consular help to anyone wanting to leave the country.

The British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, will remain in Kabul but will relocate to a more secure location.

The US has also announced that it is deploying some 3,000 additional troops to help the departure of its embassy staff.

The American embassy will remain open, although personnel will be reduced to a "core diplomatic presence".