KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban captured a district in western Farah province on Monday, local officials said.

The seizure of Anar Dara district follows two months of intense assaults by the insurgents in the remote province, which borders Iran.

“There is serious fighting between the Taliban and government forces in the Dahna area of the district right now,” provincial council leader Farid Bakhtawar told Stars and Stripes Monday morning.

He said fighting began around midnight.

The Taliban said in a statement that they killed and injured several government security members and captured the offices of the police chief and the district governor in Anar Dara.

The insurgents control or contest nearly half of all districts in Afghanistan, the largest amount of territory since a U.S.-led invasion ousted the group from power in 2001.

Zubair Babakarkhail contributed to the report.wellman.phillip@stripes.comTwitter: @pwwellman