Casualties among Afghan troops have been shockingly high amid a surge in attacks by Taliban militants in recent days.
Fighting that is now raging in 26 of the country's 34 provinces has killed or wounded at least 150 Afghan troops over the past 24 hours, Reuters quoted Afghan officials as saying.
The deaths and injuries come as
the Taliban exploit the dwindling security brought about by the US
withdrawal from the country.
Afghan government says territorial clashes have increased as the US continues to pull out its remaining troops in an operation scheduled to be completed by September 11. Other NATO troops, including German ones, also began officially pulling out of the country on May 1.
According to officials, Taliban militants have captured two more districts since the start of the withdrawal.
Late on Sunday, Taliban fighters took over the Qaisar district of northern Faryab province in an attack that killed and wounded dozens of Afghan security forces, a police official said.
Government forces were said to have retreated to a nearby hilltop from which they were still offering resistance on Monday. The Taliban also took control of Shahrak district in western Ghor province on Sunday evening, again causing a number of casualties among Afghan troops.
Taliban poised for large-scale offensive
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, the Taliban are encircling Afghan police and army positions and encroaching on government-held territory, positioning themselves for large-scale offensives against major population centers while waiting for the last American troops to depart Afghanistan.
The insurgents are pushing their advantage on the battlefield ahead of a full U.S. exit, even as they continue peace talks with the Afghan government in Doha, Qatar, according to WSJ. President Biden has said the withdrawal would be completed by Sept. 11. Other American officials indicate the remaining U.S. presence--and the vital air support they provide Afghan government forces--will be gone much sooner, maybe as early as next month.
The Taliban in the previous week seized eight districts in four totally different areas of Afghanistan, in accordance to the Lengthy Conflict Journal, a challenge of the Basis for Protection of Democracies assume tank, which tracks the Afghan conflict by means of publicly obtainable info. The districts included Qaysar in Faryab province, the place a Taliban automotive bomb killed the police chief and 23 safety personnel.
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