Kabul [Afghanistan] August 1 (ANI): At least 200 hundred Taliban terrorists were killed as a result of the US airstrike in Afghanistan’s Herat province, officials in the country’s western province have said.
The attack was carried out to prevent the Taliban‘s advance in Herat, the city with the same name as the province, after the insurgent group on Thursday captured Gozara district, some 15 kilometres from the city, where airport is located, Afghanistan Times reported.
“Giant B-52 plane of the US air force dropped bombs on Taliban positions, at least 200 terrorists were killed in the attack,” provincial spokesman Jilani Farhad said on Saturday.
Neither the US troops nor Taliban officials have commented on the allegations.
Last week, five Taliban terrorists were also killed in airstrikes carried out by the US in several provinces in Afghanistan.

This comes in wake of the drawdown by foreign troops from the war-torn country.
Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country’s northeastern province.
The Taliban seized over 193 district centres and 19 border districts, according to the Afghan Foreign Ministry.
The Taliban have also taken control of 10 border crossing points across the country in Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Herat and Farah provinces leading to the complete shutdown of cross border movements and trade in these areas.
The ministry further disclosed that since April 14, nearly 4,000 ANDSF personnel had been killed, over 7,000 injured and about 1,600 captured by the Taliban. As many as 2,000 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the violence, while 2,200 were injured.

Taliban have become ‘more cruel, more oppressive’: Afghan President Ghani

Amid the unrelenting violence in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday said that in the past two decades, the Taliban has become “more cruel and more oppressive.”
During a virtual cabinet meeting, Ghani said, “Yes, they (Taliban) have changed but negatively. They have no wish for peace, for prosperity, or progress; we want peace but they want surrender (subdued people and government).”
This comes as violence has been on the rise in Afghanistan in recent weeks as the Taliban stepped up its offensive after US and NATO troops began withdrawing from the country in June, Ariana News reported.
Blaming the Taliban for creating the conditions for the presence of foreign terrorists in Afghanistan, the Afghan President said that based on his plan, the country’s situation will witness a change within the next six months.

“They will not engage in meaningful negotiations unless the situation changes on the battlefield; therefore, we should have a clear stance. For this, there is a need for a countrywide mobilization,” he said.
Ghani’s remarks come on a day when an Afghan watchdog released a report stating that 1,677 civilians were killed and 3,644 more were injured in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year. This shows an 80 per cent increase in casualties compared to the same period in 2020, the report said.
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said on Sunday said these killings took place in 1,594 different security incidents.
“Important to note that the total number of civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 2,957, including 1,213 killed and 1,744 injured. A comparison of the abovementioned figures shows that civilian casualties have increased by 80 per cent in the first six months of 2021 compared with the first six months of 2020,” the report said.
The troop pullout was one of the points of the deal that the Taliban and the US reached in Doha in February 2020.

Afghan VP slams Pakistan for providing supplies to Taliban

Afghanistan‘s first Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Sunday again lashed out at Pakistan for the deteriorating situation in his country and said that the neighbouring country had no intention of engaging in meaningful negotiations.
Saleh, during a Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board meeting, said Afghanistan is under an invasion sponsored by Pakistan, which is providing supplies to the Taliban.
“US and NATO are assisting Afghanistan but who is matching the NATO supply on the other side?” Saleh said referring to Pakistan. He said, “Let’s call a spade a spade with them.”
In a tweet, Saleh also said that “Afghanistan is under a full-scale invasion from the Taliban terrorists who have an organized backing & sponsorship in Pakistan.”
“The Taliban use Doha office for deception. They have no intention to engage in meaningful negotiations,” he added.
The remarks came at a time when the Afghanistan government has stopped all development projects in the country following a reduction in revenues and escalation in security expenses.
Taliban have intensified their offensive against civilians, Afghan defence, and security forces as the foreign troops are withdrawing from the war-torn country.
Over the last few weeks, they captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country’s northeastern province. The extremist group issued diktats like ordering women to not leave home alone and men to grow their beards.
Afghanistan‘s first Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Tuesday lashed out at Pakistan saying that its army is the “architect and strategic master” of the ongoing terror invasion of Afghanistan.
The Afghan government has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and preventing the Afghan forces from carrying out military operations against them. Amid the ongoing Taliban offensive, the Afghan Vice President said the propaganda stunts “will not change the reality” of Pakistan.
The ties between the two sides have deteriorated since the daughter of the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan was briefly kidnapped on her way home in Islamabad on July 16. Thereafter, Kabul recalled its ambassador from Islamabad, demanding punishment for those responsible.
In July, Saleh said that the diplomatic community of Pakistan is working hard to painting and decorating a fictional image for the Taliban.
“Pakistan‘s diplomatic community is working hard painting and decorating a fictional image for Talibs. On the ground, however, Talibs 2.0 is nothing but an Afghanistan replica of IS-K and Al-Qaeda, providing bases to foreign “good and bad terrorists” The “good” LeT is their buddies in allegiance,” Saleh had said in a tweet.
Previously, Saleh had said Pakistan is giving air support to the Taliban and threatened to hit back if Afghan forces try to retake the Spin Boldak border area.

Afghan watchdog records 80 pc increase in civilian casualties

As many as 1,677 civilians were killed and 3,644 more were injured in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year, showing an 80 per cent increase of casualties compared to the same period in 2020, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said on Sunday.
According to the AIHRC report, these killings took place in 1,594 different security incidents.
“Important to note that the total number of civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 2,957, including 1,213 killed and 1,744 injured. A comparison of the abovementioned figures shows that civilian casualties have increased by 80 percent in the first six months of 2021 compared with the first six months of 2020,” the report said.

The number of women civilian casualties in the first six months of 2021 is 504 in total which includes 154 killed, and 350 injured. The number of women civilian casualties in the first six months of 2020 was 297 in total which included 126 killed, and 171 injured.
According to AIHRC findings from armed conflicts in the country, out of the total number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2021, the Taliban is responsible for 56 percent, pro-government forces are responsible for 15 percent, Daesh is responsible for seven percent, and unknown perpetrators are responsible for 22 percent.
The Taliban is responsible for 2,978 civilian casualties (917 killed, and 2,061 injured) in the first six months of 2021. The war tactics by the Taliban include the use of IEDs, rocket fires, target killing, and ground battles, the report said.
The number of civilian casualties by the Taliban in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same period in the previous year has been doubled. The Taliban was responsible for 1,438 civilian casualties (542 killed, and 896 injured) in the first six months of 2020.
Unknown perpetrators were responsible for another 1,190 civilian deaths and injuries in the first half of this year, including 425 civilians killed and 765 civilians injured. These attacks have not been claimed by any groups or individuals. (ANI)