Dubai. May 4. INTERFAX - Fighters of the armed forces of Afghanistan on Tuesday are engaged in intense fighting against insurgents from the Taliban group (banned in the Russian Federation) in the southern province of Helmand, the EFE news agency reported, citing the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
The Taliban on Monday launched an offensive near the administrative center of Helmand-the city of Lashkar Gah. The militants first managed to push the military, then they launched a counterattack, taking advantage, in particular, of air support.
On Tuesday night, the military in Helmand received reinforcements, after which the fighting became even more fierce.
According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, the Taliban lost 106 people killed and 37 wounded on Monday. The Taliban provide completely different data: according to their claims, 28 Afghan soldiers and only one militant were killed. In addition, the Taliban claim that they were able to capture 28 checkpoints in Helmand from the military.
Reports of these clashes come against the backdrop of the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan, which began last week. The Pentagon said on Monday that there were no serious attacks on the alliance's military over the weekend. It is assumed that the NATO contingent will leave Afghanistan before September 11, 2021.
At the same time, observers note that the Taliban will probably have a chance to return to power one way or another. It is believed that they are able to do this peacefully: by concluding a political agreement with Kabul. The second option is for the Taliban to seize power by force. Many Western media outlets have noted that in recent months and even years, the Taliban have extended de facto control over an increasing number of territories in Afghanistan. They are still considered to pose a serious military threat to the current Afghan authorities.
