The Taliban has captured an important town in southern Afghanistan that was a bloody graveyard for British and American troops, in a symbolic and strategic blow to the Afghan government and its international partners.Afghan government forces on Thursday withdrew from Sangin, a town in the volatile province of Helmand, ceding territory to the fundamentalist group amid conflicting claims over the scale and circumstances of the militants' advance.Local officials confirmed that the district police and governor's headquarters were now held by the Taliban, claiming this was due to a tactical evacuation as U.S. forces sought to carry out an airstrike on the militants' positions.The news came as the top U.S. general in Europe told a senate committee hearing that he feared Russia may be helping fund the Taliban. "I've seen the influence of Russia of late – increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban," said General Curtis Scaparrotti said Thursday.Read the rest of this article on VICE NEWS.