Original title: Taliban stormed Ghani, the capital of three provinces in Afghanistan, accusing the U.S. of withdrawing troops and worsening the situation. Source: Reference News Network
Reference News Network reported on August 3 Foreign media said that after the Taliban armed forces launched a weekend offensive against central cities with a significant escalation, the Afghan government forces fought on Monday to prevent the first major city from falling into the hands of the Taliban.
According to an AFP report in Kandahar, Afghanistan on August 2, after the weekend’s fierce fighting caused thousands of civilians to evade approaching militants, the Taliban attacked the capitals of at least three provinces-Rashkar Gah, Kandahar and Herat at night. -Launch an attack.
According to reports, the fighting in Rashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, is fierce. Just a few hours after the government announced that it would send hundreds of commandos to the area, the Taliban launched a coordinated attack on the city center and the city’s prisons.
According to reports, the conflict has intensified since the beginning of May as the Taliban took advantage of the opportunity of the withdrawal of foreign troops headed by the United States to enter the final stage after nearly 20 years of stationing.
According to reports, in southern Afghanistan, the fighting in Lashkar Gah lasted all night while government forces repelled a new round of Taliban offensive.
The report pointed out that Helmand Province has been the center of US and British military operations in Afghanistan for many years-but the result has plunged the province deeper into turmoil.
The report pointed out that the loss of Rashkar Gah would be a huge strategic and psychological blow for the Afghan government. After the Taliban took away most of the rural areas this summer, the government has vowed to defend the provincial capitals at all costs.
According to a report from AFP on August 1 in Kandahar, dead bodies were found in the streets, bombs were raining, frequent power outages, and residents fleeing or being driven out of their homes: The fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan government forces was previously mainly confined to rural areas, but now it’s in three days. A big city unfolds.
Resident Badshah Khan told AFP reporters by phone that the Taliban and government forces engaged in “street fighting” in Rashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province. He said: “There are air raids in the city every minute, and every inch of the city will be bombed. There are some dead bodies in the streets, as well as in the central square. Those who can escape are gone. Many families have to camp by the Helmand River. “
Another resident of the city, Hazrat Omar Sherzad, said: “The Taliban set fire on the ground, and the authorities burned the sky. They don’t care about the people.”
According to reports, on Sunday evening, the Afghan government claimed that Lashkar Gah was still controlled by continuous air strikes, but the future of the city was full of uncertainty.
The report pointed out that with the withdrawal of the international coalition forces now nearing completion, the Taliban, which has occupied large areas of rural areas for three months, seem to have begun to shift their forces to big cities. In past offensives, the Taliban rarely encountered resistance from government forces, and now government forces can only hold on to the provincial capitals.
In the southern city of Kandahar, the resident Khalid Khwadmar said that “the Taliban used residential houses” to protect themselves. In recent days, “they ordered us to leave our home, claiming that we will be responsible if there is an accident.” He also said: “Dozens of families, including us, have been thrown out. We are worried that we will be involved in the fighting.”
According to the report, up to now, the Afghan government has been trying its best to weaken the strategic significance of the Taliban’s occupation of rural areas. However, if the Taliban capture one or several provincial capitals, it may deal a heavy blow to the authorities’ ability to reverse the situation of the war.
In addition, according to a Reuters report in Kabul on August 2, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani blamed the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan on Monday on the “sudden” decision to withdraw troops from the United States, but he said that his government plans to take control within six months. situation.
Speaking to the Afghan Parliament, Ghani said: “The current situation is caused by the sudden decision of the international forces to withdraw. We have encountered unexpected situations in the past three months.”
However, he said that the Afghan government has formulated a security plan to control the situation within six months and has received support from the United States.
Ghani said that unless the deteriorating security situation is contained, the Taliban will not move towards peace. He said that the Taliban has not severed ties with terrorist organizations and has stepped up attacks on women and civil society activists.
Ghani also said that it is time for the Taliban and the Afghan government to accept each other and move towards peace.
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