ISLAMABAD – According to figures released by US central command, USwarplanes dropped a record number of bombs on Afghanistan in 2019.
A total of 7,423 bombs and other munitions were dropped last year whichshows a near eightfold increase from 2015.
Washington says the air raids target positions held by militant who stillcontrol large swathes of territory.
But data released by the UN indicates that the US was responsible for halfthe 1,149 civilian deaths attributed to pro-government forces inAfghanistan over the first three-quarters of 2019.
Locals say the real civilian death toll is much higher. Experts believeUS’s intensified air campaign has failed to destroy the operationalcapacity of militants who have stepped up their attacks.
Many in Afghanistan believe ordinary citizens bear the brunt of US airraids in the country. They say the security situation is getting worsedespite 19 years of US military presence which shows that Washington cannever bring security and political stability to the conflict-shatteredcountry.
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Military experts also believe there will be no success for the US unless itdrops its double standards in fighting terrorism.
Militant groups have vowed to continue their fighting amid the sharp risein US air raids. On Monday, a US military aircraft crashed in a region inGhazni province which is largely controlled by the Taliban. The militantgroup claimed responsibility for the downing of the plane, but aspokesperson for US forces claimed that there was “no indication” the planewas downed by enemy fire.
Apart from many ifs and buts regarding the reality of the recent planecrash that belonged to the US air force and its casualties, a number of2,400 US forces have been killed since the start of America’s longest warin 2001. As official figures show, 2019 was the deadliest year forUS troops in Afghanistan in five years, Press TV has reported.
