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Afghan forces’ casualties high in 2016: US general
Afghan security forces are suffering rising levels of battlefield casualties this year and some of the Taliban’s finances have been disrupted after a U.S. airstrike killed their leader, top US commander in Afghanistan has said.
Reuters has quoted U.S. Army General and the commander of NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, John Nicholson telling a small group of reporters that the rising casualties were largely the result of Taliban attacks on fixed Afghan positions.
“This year, we’re seeing more tactical success (by the Afghans) on the battlefield but more casualties as well,” Nicholson quoted by Reuters saying this late on Saturday.
“It’s when they’re in a defensive posture, such as in checkpoints being overrun, is where the majority of the casualties are occurring,” he added.
According to the figures in 2015 more than 5,000 Afghan forces were killed and over 14,000 were wounded in the fight against the insurgents.
Nicolson said Akhtar Mansour, the supreme leader of Taliban who was killed in US drone strike, had tight control of Taliban finances.
“So what we’re seeing are some indications that some of the finances of the organization have been disrupted,” he said.
U.S. commander also added that Mansour’s successor, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, is not a unifying figure within the Taliban ranks and the group were struggling after the killing of Mansour.
Despite the previouse plan last week U.S. president Barak Obama announced that he plans to keep 8,400 US troops until the end of his term.
U.S. allies also renewed their commitments on Saturday to support the Afghan security forces till 2020.
Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs, says Islamabad does not seek to impose war on Afghanistan or occupy any part of its territory.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he stated that Pakistan’s primary expectation is for Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan. He warned that failure to address this concern could lead to the continuation of Pakistani operations targeting such groups.
Pakistani officials have long maintained that militant attacks in Pakistan are planned from Afghan territory. However, the Islamic Emirate has rejected the claim, insisting that Afghanistan is not responsible for what it describes as Pakistan’s “security failures.”
Afghanistan has once again been ranked the least happy country in the world, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report.
The report, which measures people’s overall life satisfaction across 147 countries, placed Afghanistan at the bottom of the global ranking for another year, with a score 1.4 out of 10. Researchers assess factors such as income levels, social support, freedom to make life choices, perceptions of corruption, and overall quality of life.
For the ninth consecutive year, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country, with a score of 7.7. Iceland and Denmark followed it, as Nordic nations continued to dominate the top of the index.
A notable development came from Costa Rica, which climbed to fourth place — the highest ranking ever recorded for a Latin American country.
Other countries with low rankings included Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed the temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan announced in connection with the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, calling for continued efforts to reduce tensions and achieve lasting peace.
Anwar shared the message during a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif. In a Facebook post, Anwar emphasized the importance of dialogue and de-escalation, while also expressing concern over rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran, and urging all parties to prioritize peaceful solutions.
Pakistan said it had temporarily suspended military operations in Afghanistan at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Afghan authorities likewise announced a halt to operations during Eid, citing goodwill and similar requests from regional partners.
The ceasefire follows weeks of heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including Durand Line clashes and airstrikes.
Separately, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call discussed regional developments with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to peace and stability and stressing continued cooperation for long-term security.
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