Taliban forces have encircled 17 provincial capitals in Afghanistan, according to a top US general, with the fate of peace talks unknown.
According to Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley, who described the situation in Afghanistan, Taliban fighters have gained “strategic momentum” and now control roughly half of the countryside as they push to cut off Kabul’s population centers.
As a result, Afghan government forces are “consolidating” their positions to protect population centers, and fighting is expected to intensify in the weeks following the Eid al-Adha holiday.
During the weekend, a delegation of Afghan government and Taliban representatives met in Doha but failed to reach a cease-fire agreement.
The US withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan is expected to be completed by the end of August.
