Afghan citizens take up arms to fight Taliban

Kabul [Afghanistan], June 22 (ANI): Amid the unrelenting violence in Afghanistan, people in various provinces throughout the worn-torn country have taken up arms to fight the Taliban.

This comes in the middle of a surge in violence as the Taliban has increased its activities since the start of the US-led forces pull out on May 1.

TOLOnews reported that public uprising forces commanders in the provinces said they will stand beside the security forces to retake the lost districts. Meanwhile, some politicians said that it is necessary that people have taken up arms to defend the country under the current circumstances.

According to the Afghan news agency, the fall of several districts to the Taliban in the last two months has been unprecedented. The majority of the districts that have fallen to the Taliban have been in the north.

Last week, the Afghan government had appointed two new key security ministers due to growing insurgency and conflicts.

Meanwhile, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Monday said that they are continually assessing the progress in the drawdown from Afghanistan and other operations in the country.

Kirby said that the military leaders in the Pentagon, at US Central Command and in Afghanistan, “are constantly looking at the pace we’re going at, and the capabilities we have, and the capabilities that we’re going to need throughout to complete the withdrawal.”

Kirby added said there are only two aspects of the Afghanistan retrograde that will not change: The first is the US military will withdraw all US forces from the country, and the second is the withdrawal will be finished by the September deadline set by President Joe Biden.

Other aspects of the Afghan situation are still being studied, Kirby added. (ANI)