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On July 13, 2021, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, a police besieged at a checkpoint surrounded by the Taliban saw a convoy of Afghan special forces during a rescue mission.
Siddiqui, Denmark | Reuters
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – After a dramatic weekend, the Taliban continued to relentlessly take over the territory of Afghanistan. The organization seized five capital cities and prompted the State Department to urge all Americans to leave the war-torn country.
On Sunday, three Afghan cities, including Kunduz, the main commercial center, fell into the hands of the Taliban.
On Friday, a series of shocking battlefield reversals began in the far west province of Nimruz, where the American well-trained Afghan troops defending the Zaranji capital abandoned their positions.
The other provincial capitals controlled by the Taliban are Sarpur, Shibergan, and Talekan. According to the Associated Press.
The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan on Saturday instructed all U.S. citizens to leave the country “immediately”, adding that they “should not plan to rely on U.S. government flights.” Before the complete U.S. withdrawal to be completed at the end of August, the rapidly intensifying Taliban offensive for several weeks portrayed a country’s future violent picture, and panic was high.
Without further intervention, this impoverished country with a population of 39 million may be “in such a severe disaster situation that there is hardly any comparison in this century,” said Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General. Say. Afghanistan said at a special meeting of the UN Security Council last week.
On Sunday, August 8, 2021, after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security forces in the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, Afghans inspected damaged shops.
Abdullah Sahir | Associated Press
Leon said that the war in Afghanistan has entered “The more deadly and destructive stage“And questioned the Taliban’s commitment to reaching a political settlement with the Afghan government.
a new one UN report It was found that from the first few months of 2021, the number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan has increased. According to the report, More than 2,300 civilian casualties were recorded in May and June, This figure almost exceeds the sum of the previous four months.
In April, President Joe Biden ordered a total withdrawal of approximately 3,000 U.S. Army from Afghanistan By September 11, the longest war in the United States was effectively ended. Last month, Biden gave an updated timetable and stated that the US military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31.
“We didn’t go to Afghanistan for nation-building,” Biden once said“It is up to the Afghans to determine the future of their country.
According to the latest news from the Central Command, since Biden decided to leave the war-torn country, the Pentagon has airlifted more than 980 pieces of equipment from Afghanistan and handed over 7 facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
The Pentagon has stated that it will maintain air strikes to support the Afghan army until all foreign troops leave the country. Approximately 600 American troops are stationed in Afghanistan.
U.S. Marine Corps Admiral Frank wrote: “In the past few days, the United States has increased airstrikes to support the Afghan army. If the Taliban continue to launch attacks, we are prepared to continue to strengthen this support in the coming weeks.” MacKenzie In the statement on July 26.
Mackenzie, the combat commander responsible for overseeing the U.S. war in the Middle East, told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last month that the United States will continue to provide air strikes, but did not promise what will happen after August 31.
Amanda Macias contributed to this report in Washington.
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