US intensifies air strikes against Taliban in Afghanistan

The United States also wants to support government forces there with air strikes against the Taliban during their ongoing withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The United States has stepped up air strikes in support of Afghan forces in the past few days. “We are ready to continue this increased level of support in the coming weeks if the Taliban continue their attacks,” General Kenneth McKenzie, who is in charge of the district, said at a press conference in the capital, Kabul yesterday.

There was no comment on whether the United States wanted to continue this after the end of its military operation scheduled for August 31.

Taliban on the rise

Insecurity in Afghanistan has increased dramatically in the past few weeks since the Taliban’s advance. They have already controlled many areas of the country. Talks between them and the government in Kabul have so far been fruitless. The advance of the extremists was preceded by the withdrawal of foreign forces.

From 1996 until its overthrow by US-led forces in 2001, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan and drastically curtailed human rights. The United States intervened in Afghanistan at the helm of NATO shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001.