Afghan government decides to arm civilian militias amid increase in Taliban offensives

Kabul [Afghanistan] August 9 (ANI): Afghanistan government on Monday decided to provide civilian militias with arms and ammunition amid increasing offensives by the Taliban.

The decision follows the meeting of President Ashraf Ghani with prominent Afghan leaders to discuss the current situation in the country, Sputnik reported. “In this meeting, a decision was made on supporting the security forces, to safeguard and keep the Republic, and on the cohesion, strengthening and rapid equipping of the public uprisings against the enemy’s attacks,” the Presidential office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, massive fighting between the Afghan forces and the Taliban terrorists is underway in the country’s northern provinces of Balkh and Takhar since Sunday night, local media reports said quoting provincial officials. The security forces supported by public uprising forces retook the control of Farkhar and Worsaj districts in Takhar on Sunday after they retreated from the capital city Taluqan.

The Taliban now controls all the districts of Helmand province and has been fighting the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in the provincial capital, Lashkargah. The Taliban’s aggressive offensive has killed many government forces and innocent civilians. Multiple reports have claimed that the group has been looting innocent civilians after capturing various areas.

The terror group’s recent skirmish became aggressive soon after the US troops started leaving war-torn Afghanistan in large numbers under the new peace deal signed between Washington and the Taliban in February last year. (ANI)