Two Afghan officials and the Taliban say the militants have seized the provincial capital of Ghazni.
The capture Thursday marks the 10th provincial capital seized by the insurgents in the last week.
Fighting was still ongoing on the outskirts of the city. However, officials say the Taliban were raising their flag and the city had calmed after hours of heavy fighting.
The Afghan central government in Kabul and the security forces did not immediately acknowledge the capture of Ghazni.
Ghazni is some 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Kabul.