KABUL – United States Air Force has dropped 4,300 bombs in Afghanistan in2017, targeting Taliban and other terrorist groups in parts of the country.
According to the US Air Force figures, the number of airstrikes in 2017 wastwice than of those carried out in the past two years – 2015 and 2016.
US Air Force also has said this year they will bring in more airplanes toAfghanistan and will increase their support to the Afghan security forceson the battlefields.
According to the figures, US and Afghan Air Force have conducted an averageof 15 airstrikes daily in 2017 in south of Afghanistan.
The Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan said following the announcementof Donald Trump’s new strategy for South-Asia and Afghanistan, the numberof airstrikes against insurgents has increased 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 ISSK (Daesh) where they are. It is going to allow us topursue them. The rules of engagement are now different,” Resolute SupportMission (RS) Public Affairs Director Thomas Gresback said.
In the meantime, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATOwill send in another 3,000 military trainers to Afghanistan to train Afghanforces.
Stoltenberg said the international community will not let Afghanistan toturn to a safe haven for insurgents.
“Allies and partners are also adding three thousand more trainers to theResolute Support mission in Afghanistan, helping prevent Afghanistan fromever again becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. Afghanistanhas taught us that prevention is better than intervention,” saidStoltenberg.
Afghan Defense Ministry meanwhile said the Afghan Air Force has changedtheir tactics and that they are carrying out airstrikes with a new approachto eliminate terrorists.
“We have increased our attacks and also we succeeded to eliminate a greatnumber of the enemy’s strongholds, equipment and personnel by operationscarried out by air and ground forces,” Defense Ministry deputy spokesmanMohammad Radmanish said.
“There will be significant results if these (military) operations areconducted in good coordination,” former military officer Gen. Ahmad ShahSangdil said.
The new remarks about the increase of airstrikes and sending in moreadvisers and trainers expressed amid currently over 20 provinces of thecountry are insecure and nearly 14 districts in different locations havecollapsed to the Taliban.
In addition to this, recently Taliban has advanced toward Farah cityfighting against Afghan security forces. Despite ongoing fights in Farahcity outskirts, fights also have been ongoing in parts of Kunduz province.