Financial Times, 2 August 2021
AAN country director Ali Yawar Adili is quoted in this article about the general security situation in Afghanistan:
“There has been a stronger push from the Taliban side into at least two major cities, Herat and Lashkar Gah, and there is still fighting going on,” said Ali Yawar Adili, country director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a non-profit policy research organisation.
He added that three out of nine districts in Lashkar Gah had fallen to the Taliban. Adili also pointed out that the spirits of the Afghan forces were low, with air force pilots being assassinated and growing numbers of desertions on the battlefield.
“The Taliban started their push into districts across the country after [Joe] Biden’s announcement of unconditional withdrawal on April 14. Forces across the country were calling for air support but it was no longer there. It showed how heavily [Afghan forces] relied on US support,” said Adili.
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 5 Aug 2021
