In the northwestern province of Badghis, central Afghan special forces conducted operations against Taliban militants in Kunduz city with several districts under the control of the militants. Earlier this week, the Pentagon reported that 90 percent of US troops were already out of the region as the Taliban gained ground in northern areas. Several districts have fallen to the Taliban in the past month as foreign troops have withdrawn, denying the government soldiers security.
Last week, US forces handed over the Bagram airbase to Afghan forces and departed the area after nearly 20 years. US President Joe Biden had promised to bring home US troops by September 11, but the pullback has occurred in most cases well ahead of schedule.
Reports indicate that Tajikistan has appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) comprising Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan for assistance in dealing with the unstable security conditions on its border with Afghanistan amid the renewed fighting. President Vladimir Putin had earlier called Tajikistan’s Emomali Rakhmon to assure him of all assistance after hundreds of Afghan troops had poured into Tajikistan as the Taliban made rapid gains.
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While foreign minister Lavrov said Russia was ready to use its military base in Afghanistan, he added, ‘We will use every tool available, including the capabilities of our military base on Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan, to prevent any aggressive impulses towards our allies’. In the meantime, UK PM Boris Johnson said the current situation in Afghanistan is ‘risky’. The UK under former PM Tony Blair had entered the war in Afghanistan in 2001. At least 400 British soldiers have died in Afghanistan.
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