KABUL: US chairman of the shared staff, General Mark Milley said the Taliban had momentum in the last ten months and now controlling half of the district in Afghanistan.
More than 190 of 419 districts in Afghanistan have fallen into the Taliban and this will now be a test for leadership and Afghans, said the Khaama Mark Milley said.
“The fighters have not overthrowed the provincial capital of 34 provinces, even though they created the impression that their victory over the Kabul government could not be avoided,” General Milley said.
He also said that even though the final game has not been written in Afghanistan there is a possibility of settlement negotiated with the Taliban and the complete takeover by the group.
Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that post-withdrawal military efforts would provide terrorist threats, not the Taliban.
“The US focus is that ensuring terrorism is not exported from Afghanistan and threatens the US,” Defense Minister said.
The US will not only maintain the ability to observe terrorism but will also overcome it if it emerged from Afghanistan, the Khaama press reported quoting Austin.
Because the US announced a withdrawal plan in May, Afghanistan had witnessed a surge in violence in a torn country.
Withdrawal is scheduled to be completed in August.
US defense secretary Lloyd Austin noted that US forces were still on track to leave Afghanistan at the end of August, but the presence of small and strong American forces would remain in Kabul to provide security for diplomatic facilities and international airports.