Bala Murghab

Bala Murghab (Persian/Pashto: بالامرغاب) is a city in the Badghis province of northwestern Afghanistan, located on the Murghab River. It is the district center for the Bala Murghab District. Bala Murghab is the largest city of Badghis Province, while Bala Murghab District, with a population of 109,381, is also the most populous district of the province. Close to Bala Murghab lie the ruins of the medieval city Marw al-Rudh, the historical capital of the medieval region of Gharjistan. Throughout the War in Afghanistan, it was heavily contested by the Taliban and Afghan National Security Forces. The city was captured by the Taliban during the 2021 Taliban offensive.