Afghan government forces have abandoned or driven out of six other parts of the country in the past 24 hours as Taliban insurgents continue to gain ground, local officials confirmed on Monday.
These were one district in Herat province, one in Gore, one in Sar-i-Pul, one in Zambul and two in Farah.
Government forces, who had been under siege for some time in the centers of these regions, either withdrew and joined other forces or withdrew from their areas with air support, according to officials. In some cases, they left behind their equipment and ammunition.
According to local officials, some of the retreating soldiers are missing.
In addition to the six districts that fell, another in Kunduz province was occupied for several hours by rebels on Monday, but was recaptured by government forces later.
Islamist insurgents are recording a series of military victories and territorial conquests. Since the official withdrawal of US and NATO forces on May 1, at least 23 regions have fallen to the Taliban.
Afghanistan has 34 provinces and about 400 regions. The centers of the regions are located one step below the provinces in the structure of local self-government.
A source close to the government commented that the withdrawal from regions that are not considered of strategic importance is intended to prevent key cities and regions from falling into the hands of the guerrillas. However, concerns are growing about whether the forces will be able to handle the situation after the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Last week, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff (USCENTCOM) announced that more than 50 percent of US troops had been withdrawn.
According to the UN, the Taliban had been able to occupy five districts last year, four of which were recaptured by government forces within days.
Although the formal withdrawal of US troops should be completed by 9/11 – it may have ended even earlier – by order of US President Joe Biden, who sees it as “time” to end the longest-running war in which His country is involved, Pentagon officials have made no secret of the fact that plans are being made for the possible return of the US military if necessary.
