‘Pentagon encouraging its partners in Kabul to step up’

Afghan security personnel stand guard along the road amid ongoing fight between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters in Kandahar. Pic/AFP

Pentagon officials are monitoring the Taliban's sweeping advances in Afghanistan "with deep concern" and are encouraging its partners in Kabul to "step up" and defend their country amid the pullout of American forces, spokesman John Kirby said. With the Taliban claiming to have taken control of 85 per cent of Afghanistan, which the US government officials dispute, Kirby told Fox News on Sunday that the Pentagon was "not unmindful" of the situation.

"We're certainly watching with deep concern, the deteriorating security situation and the violence which is of course way too high, and the advances and the momentum that the Taliban seems to have right now," he said.

As per the report, Kirby said that the Pentagon officials were working with the Afghan military "to encourage them to use the capacity and the capability that we know they have, and we know that they know how to defend their country". He stated that Afghanistan's capacity and capabilities included a "very capable" Air Force and "very sophisticated" Special Forces that can help defend the country from the Taliban resurgence. "This is a time for them to step up and to do exactly that," Kirby said of their Afghan partners.

With the US Central Command estimating that more than 90 per cent of the withdrawal process is complete, Kirby said that even though the American troops won't be supporting Afghanistan on the ground, Washington will continue to support the country and its people.

"We are not walking away from this relationship," Kirby said. "We're going to continue to support them from a financial perspective, logistical perspective and certainly aircraft maintenance."

Afghan Air Force kills 40 militants

Forty Taliban militants were killed in strikes carried out by the Afghan Air Force, the Ministry of Defence confirmed on Monday. In southern Helmand province, 14 militants were killed and two others wounded after warplanes targeted Taliban hideouts in Garmser district.

US commander to hand over command

The top US commander in Afghanistan is to hand over his command at a ceremony in the capital of Kabul on Monday, as America winds down its 20-year military presence and Taliban insurgents continue to gain territory across the country. Gen. Scott Miller was poised to transfer authority to Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command.

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