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US escalates airstrikes on Taliban

The United States has launched several airstrikes in support of embattled Afghan forces in recent days, US officials said yesterday, an escalation in US involvement in Afghanistan as the Taliban seizes more territory from government forces.

At least four of the strikes were carried out on Thursday and Friday, including some in Kandahar, which is the birthplace of the Taliban and increasingly under pressure by Taliban forces, said one US official.

The airstrikes were conducted at the request of Afghan forces under attack by the Taliban or to destroy equipment stolen by the militants, including artillery and vehicles, according to the two US officials.

An Afghan military official said the escalation of US strikes has been ‘‘significant’’ compared to recent months, concentrated in the northern province of Kunduz and in Kandahar.

The Taliban has made rapid territorial gains, including border crossings vital for trade, as the US drawdown nears completion.

World

en-nz

2021-07-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282986812963298

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