Afghanistan | Army reshapes strategy to counter Taliban

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Published on 23/07/2021 at 08:30

The Afghan army is reshaping its war strategy against the Taliban. Its forces will be concentrated in areas considered to be of the greatest strategic importance, such as the capital Kabul, major cities, border crossings and major infrastructure, Afghan and US officials explain.

This politically dangerous strategy inevitably means that part of the territory will be left to the Taliban. However, officials insist that this is an operational necessity, as the armed forces have gone too far in their efforts to prevent the loss of provincial capitals, something they anticipate will worsen the situation in the country.

The reorganization of forces, which has already been publicly acknowledged, comes as the US military continues to withdraw from the country, something which is expected to be completed on August 31, following orders from US President Joe Biden.

Islamist insurgents are increasingly occupying more territory, the US Pentagon estimated last Wednesday, that they now occupy more than half of the centers of Afghanistan’s regions. The Taliban are also putting pressure on half of the provincial capitals, trying to cut them off from the rest of the country.

Also read: VIDEO | Afghanistan’s Fight Against Taliban – Air Force operations footage

US intelligence officials have warned that the Afghan government could be ousted in as little as six months, US officials told Reuters. An anonymous Afghan official said the “redeployment” of troops would allow Kabul to retain control of areas and infrastructure of strategic importance, such as an Indian-built dam and major roads. However, the redeployment and concentration of forces also means that areas will remain unaffected, which will upset communities and tribes who feel that their government is merely leaving them to the hands of the Taliban.

US Secretary of Defence Mark Milley, the chief of the US Department of Defence, acknowledged that the new strategy meant abandoning “regional centers” to protect more populous cities, such as the capital, Kabul. He said the Taliban seemed to have the advantage, that they had gained “strategic momentum”. “There is a possibility of a complete occupation (of the country) by the Taliban,” among other “scenarios,” General Milley told a press conference Wednesday, but did not consider the outcome “yet.” 

The rise of the Taliban has alarmed many Afghans as the United States withdraws from the war in which it became involved after the 9/11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon attributed to al-Qaeda. This war did not bring, as Washington said, the pursuit of peace in Afghanistan. The Biden government has vowed to continue to provide financial support to the Afghan armed forces and to double its efforts to advance the stalled peace talks.

Nevertheless, the Taliban did not respond to calls from 15 foreign diplomatic missions and NATO on Monday to halt their large-scale offensive. The rebels and the government have not been able to agree on a ceasefire in talks between them in Doha, Qatar, ahead of the Feast of Sacrifice.

Also read: The Taliban now control more than half of Afghanistan regions