KABUL - Following the US president’s announcement on the new war strategy for Afghanistan, airstrikes against insurgent strongholds were sharply increased.
US Airstrikes in Afghanistan touch 7 years high
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The Trump administration targeted the Taliban and Daesh insurgents with 751 airstrikes in Afghanistan in September, a seven-year monthly high, according to data from the US Air Forces Central Command, Newsweek reported.
The report said that the September total represents a 50 percent increase against August and was described by the command as being part of President Donald Trump's "strategy to more proactively target extremist groups" in the country.
Since 2010, the most bombs dropped during one month was 589, in August 2012 - still almost 200 fewer than were released in September, Newsweek reported.
"This increase can be attributed to the president's strategy to more proactively target extremist groups that threaten the stability and security of the Afghan people," the report from central command said.
"Additionally, the recent addition of six F-16s at Bagram Air Base, coupled with more B-52 missions dedicated to Afghanistan, offer the additional strike capacity needed to target these groups," the report added.
However, the data included only airstrikes by aircraft that are the responsibility of Combined Forces Air Component Commander, and not the Afghan Air Force - suggesting the actual number of airstrikes could be higher.