Afghanistan’s militant faction, the Taliban, said on the 5th that it was targeting provincial cities in response to US airstrikes.
The three Taliban commanders, who requested anonymity, said in an interview with Reuters on the same day that they had switched to a strategy to attack provincial cities in the outskirts of Afghanistan.
A regional commander stressed that late last month the United States had increased airstrikes in response to the Taliban’s offensive against government forces.
Fierce fighting broke out in Herat, near the western border with Iran, in Rashkar, the capital of the Helmand province in the southwest, and in the southern Kandahar region.
The three commanders explained that they were focusing on capturing Herat and Kandahar, starting with Rashkar.
A Kandahar-based commander said the United States did not live up to its promises and said we do not have to uphold the agreement.
After Kandahar and Herat, the commander said he decided to capture Helmand, adding that other provinces could also be attacked.
In recent weeks, attacks on these three regions have continued to neutralize Afghan special forces, killing dozens of civilians.
Meanwhile, a Taliban spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from the media regarding the attack.
Reuters
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