Taliban attacks have been on the rise since the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan

Photo: Collected.

The Taliban's offensive in Afghanistan has escalated in the days leading up to the withdrawal of US troops.

Militants have been wreaking havoc across Afghanistan since the United States failed to withdraw its troops by May 1 during talks with the Taliban last year. In addition to Helmand province, Afghan security forces have repulsed Taliban attacks in at least six other provinces, including Ghazni and Kandahar, in the past 24 hours, according to the Afghan Defense Ministry.

Ataullah, head of the provincial council in Helmand, said the Taliban had attacked from various directions on Monday. They attacked checkpoints on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah and captured several checkpoints. Afghan security forces carried out airstrikes on the scene and also deployed elite commandos. Then the Taliban retreated. But the fighting did not stop. Fighting continues on Tuesday. Hundreds of families have been displaced.

New US President Joe Biden recently announced that all troops would be withdrawn by September 11. The withdrawal of troops has started according to this new deadline. The Taliban did not meet Biden's September 11 deadline for withdrawing troops. Critics of Biden's decision to withdraw troops say the Taliban will return to power in Afghanistan if troops withdraw.

The United States, meanwhile, has completed two to six percent of its troop withdrawals from Afghanistan. Officials said on Tuesday that they had so far removed the equivalent of 60 transport aircraft, keeping in mind the September deadline.

The U.S. Central Command says 1,300 items have been sent to destroy since President Joe Biden's April 14 announcement of troop withdrawals, and two military installations in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province have been handed over to the Afghan army. Reuters and AFP.