Even as US forces completed 95 per cent withdrawal from Afghanistan, they conducted two strikes against the Taliban in support of Afghan security forces in the southern province of Kandahar. The strike targeted the heavy weapons like artillery guns and armored Humvee that the group had seized from Afghan forces and were using against them. 

A report in CNN said the US forces had conducted at least seven strikes against the Taliban in the last 30 days.  

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said on Thursday, "I can say that in the last several days, we have acted through airstrikes to support the ANDSF, but I won't get into technical details of those strikes." 

Afghan authorities have not confirmed or denied the strikes. 

Fighting has been raging in Kandahar city for weeks now and Taliban insurgents were using heavy weapons that it seized earlier from the security forces. A senior defense official confirmed to CNN that 3-4 airstrikes targeted these heavy weapons. 

Although the withdrawal of US troops is almost completed, US forces retained the ability and right to act in defense of Afghan security forces till August--the deadline set by the US President Joe Biden for the complete withdrawal of forces. 

General Milley, the top US commander, earlier this week confirmed that the insurgent has captured over half of Afghanistan’s 418 districts. However, they have not been able to capture any of the provincial centers as of now. Afghan Security forces, in the last few weeks, have recaptured as many as ten districts. 

On Wednesday, Lloyd Austin, the US defense secretary, has said the military takeover of the Afghan government wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Other possibilities like civil war and warlordism couldn’t be ruled out, he added. 

The Taliban, in a recent interview, said they would not agree to a ceasefire until there is a new negotiated government acceptable to all installed in Kabul. 

(SAM)