Kabul: Taliban now controls about half of Afghan district after leaving five months since foreign forces began their final withdrawal from the country.
But analysts and officials said their military victory was far from guaranteed, showing the ability and resources of the Afghan defense forces, who still controlled big cities.
The following is how two strengths compare: total strength of Afghan National Security Forces – including soldiers, special forces, air forces, police, and intelligence – more than 307,000 at the end of April, US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sigar) said in a report last week.
Complete strength available on a particular day may be around 180,000, according to estimates by Jonathan Schroden from the Military Think Tank CNA.
The right strength of the Taliban, on the other hand, is not accurately known.
Monitor the UN Security Council last year said the group had between 55,000 and 85,000 fighters.
Foreign assistance is very important for Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world.
The military requires $ 5-6 billion per year, according to US Congress research services.
Washington usually provides around 75 percent, and has promised sustainable support.
Taliban finance is unclear.
Their income is estimated at between $ 300 million to $ 1.5 billion per year, according to the UN monitor.
They generate funds from the country’s large narcotics industry, through extortion of business, other criminal activities, and by imposing taxes in areas under their control, monitor said.
“Based on information available …
it is clear that the Taliban do not struggle with respect to recruitment, funding, weapons or ammunition,” he added.
Pakistan, Iran and Russia have been accused by Washington and Kabul supplying the Taliban with resource support and advisors, but all three denied the allegations.
The United States spent tens of billions of dollars in raising and completing the Afghan military after overthrowing the previous Taliban regime in 2001.
Afghan troops have the advantage of the Taliban technology, using a variety of Western weapons, including modern assault rifles, night-vision glasses, armored vehicles, Artillery and small drone supervision.
They also have something that doesn’t match the Taliban: Air Force.
Afghan military has a fleet available from 167 aircraft, including helicopter attacks, Sigar reported.
The Taliban on the other hand mainly used small weapons and light weapons that flooded Afghanistan for decades of conflict – such as the AK-47 assault rifle designed by Soviet – while also their procurement of the regional black market, analysts said.
In addition to sniper rifles and machine guns, militants have also deployed rocket-driven grenades, mortars and other small rockets, while also trying to use some anti-aircraft weapons and anti-tanks with mixed success, Taliban experts Antonio Giustozzi wrote in a book 2019 group.
The suicide bomber and improvised explosive device (IED) have occurred between the deadly weapons, the Taliban use Afghan and foreign forces.
The Taliban has also captured and used Western-made weapons and equipment supplied to the Afghan military, including night vision devices, attack rifles and vehicles.
Afghan forces have been tested for their beliefs for years, suffering from high victims, corruption, desers, and now the departure of foreign and final forces of US air support.
Bad planning and leadership has also been blamed for low morals.
The Taliban, on the other hand, has displayed a larger cohesion even though there are reports from internal cracks in recent years, analysts said, pointing to religious spirit and contributing material promises.