Afghan forces battle Taliban surge with help from United States airstrikes

Taliban claim to have captured almost the entire district of Sangin after storming its frontlines last Sunday, tightening their grip on the southern Helmand province.

The northern city of Kunduz briefly fell to the Taliban in late September – the biggest victory for the group in 14 years of war. The turmoil in Helmand, the deadliest province for British and USA forces in Afghanistan over the past decade, underscores a rapidly unravelling security situation in Afghanistan.

A violent battle has been underway across Helmand for months, a stronghold of Taliban and a major opium center. Corruption has siphoned off supplies and some units are under-strength because of ghost troops – deserters who are not reported so that officials can pocket their pay. “There is intelligence failure, lack of coordination, huge corruption in terms of selling fuel, ghost troops and much else”, he said.

SUNE ENGEL RASMUSSEN: Fighting has gone back and forth, and on Wednesday night local time, the Taliban managed to seize control of the government compound for four to five hours.

Operations were slowed as insurgents began taking shelter in civilian homes, he said. News storiesdisplayed here appear in our category for worldwide and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.comand The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization.

In order to support the local forces, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that British troops had been sent to the province after the Afghan Defense Minister requested global support and air cover.

The Taliban statement listed barriers to peace negotiations, including United Nations sanctions on individual Taliban figures which were extended this week, and the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan, with specific mention of the British troops that arrived in Helmand on Wednesday to provide support for Afghan forces battling in Sangin.

The Afghan forces had some support from the U.S., the spokesman for NATO’s Operation Resolute Support told CNN on Thurs.

The contingent, which an Afghan official said includes around 90 people, is on an “advisory” mission with London insisting they will not engage in combat. But at least two air strikes have been carried out this week.

Credit: Drury Mirror ” US forces conducted two strikes in Sangin on December 23 against threats to the force”, a spokesman for the military coalition said on Thursday.

“The Taliban have made big advances in Helmand province in summer and into the winter and the offensive is increasing”, he said.