Escalation of violence in Afghanistan after the last phase of the withdrawal of American forces – The Taliban attacked Mehtarlam and the Afghan army launched a counterattack
The Taliban have attacked Mehtarlam, a provincial capital about 120km from Kabul, officials and eyewitnesses said, forcing the Afghan army to launch a counterattack.
The violence is increasing in Afghanistan since US forces began the last phase of their retirement, with the rebels to try to exploit it to gain ground.
Fierce fighting broke out between the Taliban and Afghan forces on Sunday in Mehtarlam, a town of 140,000 and the capital of Laghman province .
The Defense Minister Yasin Zia visited the spot to deal with the counter-attack, officials said.
” With the arrival of reinforcements, the enemy has suffered a lot, ” Zia, a former army commander, said in a video.
According to his ministry, at least 50 rebel fighters were killed last night, Sunday to Monday.
The spokesman of Taliban Mujahid Zampichoulach however told AFP that the rebels had captured 37 checkpoints on the outskirts of Mechtarlam.
Conflict accounts and information can rarely be verified by independent sources in Afghanistan, and both camps tend to exaggerate their successes and downplay their failures.
Hundreds of people forced to flee the area
According to a French Agency reporter , fighting continued today in some parts of Mehtarlamand hundreds of people were forced to flee the area.
The Zampioulach, a student, went to school as the government said it has regained control of the city. But the student was forced to leave quickly when the fighting resumed.
“I no longer know which areas of the city are safe,” he said.
Taliban occupy Nerch and Jalrez areas
In recent days, the Taliban have occupied Nerch and Jalrez areas in Wardak province , about 40 kilometers from Kabul.
The Ouarntak used long ago by the Taliban to reach the capital and launch attacks.
The guerrillas also took control of itBurka, in the northern province of Baghlan, earlier this month after Afghan troops withdrew from the area.
Insurgents are increasingly encircling large urban centers, implying that they are waiting for the Americans to leave in order to launch large-scale attacks on cities.
