As the withdrawal of US troops began, the Afghan war entered a more brutal phase
After some recent Taliban advances, in many areas of densely populated urban areas, in several densely populated urban areas, US troops withdrew and reduced airstrikes against militants, between Afghan government troops and the Taliban. The battle is entering a more brutal phase.
To clear the district's pockets, a few hundred yards from the edge of Helmand's provincial capital, Afghan government forces led by General Sami Sadat moved from house to house through heavily fortified neighborhoods last month, when Afghans The planes hit the waves. Of heavy strikes
The area was heavily mined by the Taliban, and weeks of fighting shattered roads: dirt roads lined with walls of donkeys and crushed trunks marked with bullets and shrapnel.
For months, after signing an evacuation agreement with the United States, the Taliban gradually increased its influence throughout Afghanistan. Due to US aggression, particularly airstrikes and raids, the group allowed large-scale fighters to gather supplies and enter the government-held territory.
In the south of the country, especially in Helmand, the militants have seen the most astonishing progress. As of May 1, the date when the full withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan began, the Taliban had fought hundreds of fighters in Helmand. And as the US military handed over its last base here to the Afghan government, Taliban fighters launched a major offensive on the occupied territory in three districts, including Nawa, in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.
Although Nawa has been battling the Taliban several times over the past two decades, residents say the current battle to retake the area is different from other days: it has dragged on for weeks instead of days, and both sides are heavy. Using weapons.
Sadat described one of the most successful raids, in which a unit of about 50 militants was surrounded and killed. "They wanted to collect the dead so we are keeping an eye on the area," he said, adding that his forces shot dead several militants as they tried to retrieve the bodies. ۔
He said he did not know if any Taliban fighters had tried to surrender. "The boys were angry," he replied, referring to his men. The junior officer leading the operation was promoted to major.
The war in Helmand could indicate how the war in Afghanistan will unfold after the complete withdrawal of US and NATO forces from the country. Over the past month, there has been a significant increase in violence. The Taliban launched a wave of attacks on provincial capitals, initially destroying government forces at several bases and outposts. Now, as the Afghan army retreats, tougher tactics are being used on both sides.
Taliban fighters are clearing the area with roadside bombs and booby-trapped explosives. And Afghan government forces are conducting ground operations under heavy air support in the attack. Of the eight provinces captured by the Taliban in the past month, the Afghan army has advanced to three: Baghlan in the north, Laghman in the east and Helmand around its capital Lashkar Gah.
Where fighting has erupted, the new phase of the war has proved fatal for government forces, Taliban fighters and civilians.
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