While U.S. and allied forces continue to withdraw from Afghanistan, the United States is making good on its commitment to support Afghan security forces.
A U.S. official confirmed to the Voice of America Wednesday night (May 5) that U.S. forces are actively conducting airstrikes against Taliban militants in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province. Heavy fighting on the ground has been going on for days.
The official, who asked not to be named, declined to share more details, citing operational security considerations that must be taken into account.
The Pentagon also declined to disclose any details, though a spokesman said U.S. commanders on the ground still have “a pretty robust capability.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters, “To the extent that we can, as we phase out, we will continue to try to support the Afghan national security forces in the field.”
The U.S. airstrikes come as Afghan security forces have come under intense pressure from the Taliban, particularly in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province. Relief organizations on the ground report a serious intensification of fighting in the past few days.
One of those organizations, Doctors Without Borders, said on social media that civilians fleeing the fighting described bullets hitting their homes, forcing them to flee, sometimes without even bothering to put on shoes or clothes.
A local government official told AFP on Wednesday that U.S. airstrikes were key to halting the Taliban’s advance.
The official, named Atiqullah, said, “The bombing was so good. I haven’t seen bombing like this in years.”
Afghan government forces have also suffered setbacks elsewhere.
Taliban forces captured a district in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan and also killed a police chief in the southeastern province of Paktika, officials said Wednesday.
Still, U.S. defense officials expressed confidence in the ability of Afghan security forces to hold off the Taliban offensive.
“The Afghan security forces are much more capable than they have been in recent years,” Kirby told reporters. “They’ve been in a leading role for quite some time.”
Afghan military officials similarly insisted that they are capable of accomplishing their mission.
“Currently, 100 percent of the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces are independently planning, commanding and controlling and conducting military operations,” Fawad Aman, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, told the Voice of America’s Afghan desk on Wednesday.
“There is no support or physical presence of foreign forces in the field,” Aman added.
But how long can Afghan forces resist the loss of U.S. support in the face of a somewhat sustained Taliban offensive? There have long been concerns about that.
“This will be a major test for the Afghan security forces,” retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute told the Voice of America’s Afghan desk.
“The Afghan security forces have been heavily dependent on air support – Western air support, U.S. air support …… It’s that air support that has been keeping the Taliban at bay,” he said. “Are the Afghans capable of providing their own air support? If they can’t, or if they’re in a critical situation, will the U.S. come to their aid?”
While Afghan officials have been eager to demonstrate the combat effectiveness of their air force, some U.S. officials have warned that it may not last long. The Afghan Air Force still relies on thousands of contracted U.S. and international contractors to take care of maintenance, the officials warned. As the remaining U.S. and allied forces withdraw by early September, those contract workers are scheduled to leave with them.
“Without the support of contractor personnel, no Afghan aircraft airframe can remain combat-ready for more than a few months,” the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction warned in a report released last week.
U.S. defense officials said talks about ensuring that technical and logistical support is maintained are still ongoing, but they cautioned that the issue has not been resolved.
As international troop levels continue to decrease and there are no more U.S. drones or warplanes in Afghanistan to conduct reconnaissance or airstrike missions in support of Afghan ground forces, how will Afghan security forces adjust to that? This is also a concern.
U.S. officials acknowledge that a long-range campaign “across the horizon” would take longer and would be “extremely difficult” overall.
Currently, the U.S. has six B-52 bombers on standby at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the USS Eisenhower carrier strike group in the Arabian Gulf. But their main mission now is to cover the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from Afghanistan.
Officials said ongoing talks with countries in the region to deploy warplanes and other military assets at bases close to Afghanistan have made little progress so far.
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