US Major General James Hecker announces intensifying the Afghanistan conflict

Kabul: The US Air Chief James Hecker declared that on completion of the campaign against the ‘IS’ in Iraq and Syria, the battle in Afghanistan will be intensified. He also said that the United States has started to increase the strength of its air force for the battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Major General James Hecker said that the United States has become more aggressive in its Afghan policy, during a video conference call from their airbase in Kabul. Major General James Hecker also informed that ‘CENTCOM’, the United States Central Command in the Gulf, has concentrated all its attention to the Afghanistan conflict. This will give a major fillip to the Taliban conflict by the United States and NATO in Afghanistan, claimed Hecker.

As the air power used in the Iraq and Syria against the IS will be used for the Afghanistan conflict the United States action in Afghanistan will become more aggressive. There will be more terrorists targeted through the increased US espionage campaigns. The Taliban command and control as well as the training camps will be destroyed, Major General Hecker has claimed. Major General Hecker expressed the confidence that these US attacks will bring the Taliban on their knees and force them to come to the negotiation table.

‘There could be rise in the number of ‘MQ-9 Ripper’ drones by 50%’ owing to ‘CENTCOM’s decision, Hecker informed. ‘MQ-9 Ripper’ drones are used for surveillance and espionage campaigns in Afghanistan. The number of ‘A-10 Tucano’ fighter jets will be increased for attacks on the Taliban, informed Hecker. He also expressed a possibility that the Ripper and Tucano squadrons will soon be deployed in Afghanistan.

The United States is going to increase its air strength for the Taliban conflict in Afghanistan. Hecker further said that at the same time the Afghanistan air strength will also be augmented. ‘The Afghan Air Force has carried out big campaigns against the Taliban in the last year and the Afghan campaigns are more in numbers than the United States campaigns. Hecker expressed confidence that the NATO air command will try to increase the Afghan air force three times in numbers.

As of now, the Afghan Air Force has 12 ‘A-29’ jets and soon this number will increase to 25, claimed a senior officer in the US Air Force. Not only the number of aircrafts but the Afghan pilots also will be trained to fly these aircrafts. The Afghan pilots will be trained to attack with the ‘Laser Guided Bombs’, Hecker informed.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump had declared last year that the anti-terrorist campaign in Afghanistan will be intensified. Accordingly, Trump had ordered an increase in the numbers of drones, fighter jets and helicopters in Afghanistan. He also increased the powers of the US inteliigence agency, ‘CIA’ to increase the intensity of the drone attacks in Afghanistan. Subsequently, the US attacks have increased and the Afghan leaders have welcomed the Trump policy.