Dozens of people were killed in a mutual attack between the Afghan army and the Taliban. The army declared a state of emergency in several states. At the same time, because of concerns about the deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, the Russian and Uzbek forces began military exercises along the border.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense reported that the Afghan army launched an air strike near the city of Rashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, killing 36 Taliban militants.
A security source told Al Jazeera that the Afghan army repelled an attack by Taliban militants on the headquarters of the “Takhtabor” headquarters in the southern Kandahar province.
The source added that the U.S. forces bombed Taliban positions in the “Takhtabor” and “Benjwari” areas of Kandahar.
In the case of the Taliban, the movement stated that it fired artillery shells at an air base in Herat Province, causing casualties to government personnel.
Military plan
Afghan President Mohamed Ashraf Ghani stated that after the recent meeting, the Taliban’s unwillingness to achieve peace became apparent. He added that a comprehensive military plan has been developed and the situation will change within six months.
Ghani added in his parliamentary speech that the government had made major concessions for peace, but the Taliban had escalated the situation across the country. Ghani accused the Taliban of not severing ties with international terrorism, but severing ties, and explained that the movement’s assessment of gaining power through force was wrong.
The President called for unity against the Taliban, and the sudden withdrawal of US troops provided a gap for the government to fill.
It is worth noting that a spokesperson for the Afghan army said on Sunday that due to fighting with Taliban forces, Afghanistan declared a state of emergency in Kandahar, Helmand (south) and Herat (west) provinces.
On the other hand, Al Jazeera reporters quoted a Taliban leader on Sunday as saying that the movement had reached the suburbs of state capitals but did not seek to enter because it is currently learning how serious the Afghan government is to reach a peace and reconciliation agreement. He explained that if the government refuses to reach a peace agreement, the movement will advance into the state capitals.
An Afghan soldier stands in a car outside the United Nations compound in Guzala District, Herat Province (AFP)Border exercise
In view of the recent developments in Afghanistan, the Russian and Uzbek forces began a joint military exercise near the Afghan border on Monday. The two countries are worried that the security situation in Afghanistan may deteriorate and the impact will extend to Central Asia.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, Russia said that 1,500 Russian and Uzbek soldiers will participate in the five-day exercise, which will start at the Termez military base in Uzbekistan.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated that there will be 1,800 soldiers participating in the exercise with Tajikistan instead of the original 1,000, adding that a total of more than 2,500 soldiers will participate in the joint exercise.
Russia is worried that the escalation of the situation in Afghanistan will destabilize its southern defensive front and send refugees to its backyard in Central Asia.
Afghanistan has been suffering from war since 2001, when the international military alliance led by the United States overthrew the Taliban regime linked to al-Qaeda. Al-Qaida launched an attack in the United States on September 11 of the same year.
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