On 6 June 1997, Taliban units moved into Faryab Province and captured the city of Maimana. Local commanders loyal to the Northern Alliance were forced to withdraw. The seizure increased Taliban influence across northern Afghanistan and shifted regional power balances. Residents reported disruptions to civic institutions as the Taliban replaced administrative officials. The takeover contributed to a series of sweeping advances that marked the group’s rising military momentum in the late 1990s.
