KABUL – New data released by the Pentagon has revealed that in 2017, some4,300 bombs were dropped on the country, doubling the amount of deadlyattacks over the previous two years.The recent deadly terrorist attacks in Kabul have eclipsed new Pentagondata revealing a sharp uptick in bombing raids in the beleaguered nation,doubling in 2017 the amount of weapons dropped in Afghanistan over 2015 and2016.
United States Air Force (USAF) statistics show that airstrikesin Afghanistan against so-called terrorist targets, including the Talibanand other groups, has increased dramatically as deadly militant attackson urban civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, are on rise,according to Tolonews.com.
Up to 15 airstrikes and bombing raids by US and allied forces are conductedin Afghanistan each day according to Pentagon sources as additional bombersand aircraft are being deployed in the Middle eastern country.
Following an announcement by US President Donald Trump detailing newPentagon strategies in southeast Asia and Afghanistan, current bombingraids on insurgents not aligned with the US-backed government in Kabul haverisen significantly.
“Airstrikes are up significantly in 2017 primarily due to the South Asiapolicy which President Trump has signed and allowing us to go after boththe Taliban and [Daesh] where they are,’ stated Resolute Support Mission(RS) Public Affairs Director Thomas Gresback.
The Trump upsurge will “allow us to pursue them. The rules of engagementare now different,” added Gresback, cited by Tolonews.com.
Alongside the US military surge in Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General JensStoltenberg recently announced that the military bloc will deploy anadditional 3,000 so-called trainers to guide a Pentagon-sponsored Afghanarmy link> that relies almost entirely on outsidesupport.
Stoltenberg asserted that NATO members are committed to preventing theestablishment of safe havens for insurgents, as the US war in Afghanistanenters its 17th year with no resolution in sight.
Currently an estimated 20 of the country’s 34 provinces are considered‘insecure’ by US intelligence assets, while nearly 54 of 105 districtsin Afghanistan are under direct Taliban control, according to ABCnews.com.