Taliban insurgents control about half of Afghanistan's district centres and appear to have 'strategic momentum' - top US general
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin brief reporters at the Pentagon as the US military nears the formal end of its mission in Afghanistan in Arlington, Virginia, US July 21, 2021.
"Strategic momentum appears to be sort of with the Taliban," General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on Wednesday. Insecurity has been growing in Afghanistan in recent weeks, largely spurred by fighting in its provinces as US-led foreign troops complete their withdrawal and the Taliban launch major offensives, taking districts and border crossings.
The government has accused the Taliban of destroying hundreds of government buildings in 29 of the country's 34 provinces. The Taliban deny accusations of extensive destruction by their fighters.Fifteen diplomatic missions and the NATO representative in Afghanistan urged the Taliban on Monday to halt its offensives just hours after the rival Afghan sides failed to agree on a ceasefire at a peace meeting in Doha.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Half of all Afghan district centers under Taliban control - U.S. generalTaliban insurgents control about half of Afghanistan's district centers, the senior U.S. general said on Wednesday, indicating a rapidly deteriorating security situation.
Read more »
Afghan Taliban rejects Eid festival ceasefire to defend gains, groupTaliban is waging a sweeping offensive across Afghanistan, attacking cities, snapping up territory and seizing border crossings with the withdrawal of foreign troops all but complete.
Read more »
U.S. in final talks to house Afghan interpreters at Qatar, Kuwait military basesThe U.S. is in the final stages of talks to temporarily house a number of Afghan nationals who aided the U.S. war effort and their families at U.S. military bases while they await approval of their visas
Read more »
Can Iran save Afghan Shiites and help China, Russia prevent war next door?Iran 'has shown that it's increasing its efforts to cultivate relations with the Taliban' while also 'sending some signals via its outreach to the Fatemiyoun Division in Syria, most recently, that it intends to keep that sort of hidden ace up its sleeve,' New America's Candace Rondeaux told
Read more »
Rocket attack on Afghan capital as Ghani gives Eid speechAt least three rockets landed in the Afghan capital ahead of a speech by President Ashraf Ghani marking the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha - Interior Ministry
Read more »
Afghan official says rockets hit near presidential palaceSeveral rockets hit near the presidential palace in Kabul shortly before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was to give an address to mark Eid-a-Adha. There were no injuries, and the rockets landed outside the heavily fortified palace grounds.
Read more »