General Austin Miller, the top US commander in Afghanistan, has called the recent rapid loss of districts to the Taliban “worrisome” and warned that the rise of local militias could plunge the country into a civil war. 

The remark came on Tuesday after the Taliban captured over 100 districts--many among them are of great strategic importance. As beleaguered Afghan security forces struggled in the country’s north, many former warlords and local strongmen quickly raised local militias. 

Calling the rise of these militias “worrisome”, Miller said, “A civil war is certainly a path that can be visualized if this continues on the trajectory it’s on right now, that should be of concern to the world.”   

Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense has asked the Taliban on Tuesday to return to peace talks, calling the level of violence in the country “too high”. 

“What we want to see, what we'd like to see is the Taliban return to the peace process in a credible way,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on Tuesday. “The violence remains too high, and we’re all aware of all of the security situation in Afghanistan.”    

Questioning the Taliban’s seriousness to a negotiated peace settlement, he said, “We see events on the ground unfold, it certainly calls into question the sincerity of their efforts to be a legitimate, credible participant in the peace process.”  

(SAM)