Support Afghan Military, US Marine General: We Will Continue Air Strikes Against Taliban

JAKARTA - The United States (US) will continue to carry out airstrikes to support Afghan forces against attacks from Taliban insurgents, said the regional commander of the US-led coalition of international forces in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks in recent weeks, taking rural districts and provincial capitals around them as the international coalition withdraws, following US President Joe Biden's announcement last April.

"The United States has stepped up airstrikes in support of Afghan forces over the past few days," US Marine General Kenneth McKenzie told a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, citing Reuters Monday, July 26.

"We are prepared to continue this increased level of support in the coming weeks, should the Taliban continue their offensive," McKenzie said in a statement.

McKenzie, who heads US Central Command, which controls US troops for the region that includes Afghanistan, declined to say whether US forces would resume airstrikes after the end of their military mission on Aug. 31.

"The Afghan government faces a tough test in the days ahead. The Taliban are trying to create an inescapable feeling about their campaign," McKenzie said.

However, he said Taliban victory was inevitable and a political solution remained a possibility.

The Afghan government and Taliban negotiators have met in the Qatari capital, Doha, in recent weeks, although diplomats say there has been little sign of a substantive process since peace talks began in September.

Hit by battlefield losses, the Afghan military is overhauling its war strategy against the Taliban to concentrate troops around the most critical areas such as Kabul and other cities, border crossings, and vital infrastructure, Afghan and US officials say.

McKenzie said there was likely to be an increase in violence after this week's Muslim holiday break, saying the Taliban could focus on populated urban centers.

"They have to deal with the cities if they are to try and reclaim power. I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that they're going to be able to capture these urban areas," McKenzie said.

Last week, the US carried out air strikes on Wednesday and Thursday. The airstrike was the first since the top US commander in Afghanistan, General Austin S. Miller, officially left Afghanistan two weeks ago.

Previously, the series of attacks carried out by the Taliban made US Secretary of State Antony Blinken worried and concerned.

"We have deep concerns about the actions the Taliban are taking, which suggests they may be trying to take over the country by force. But if that happens, Afghanistan will become a pariah state," said Foreign Minister Antony J. Blinken as quoted by The New York Times from MSNBC.