US Secretary of Defence on Afghanistan visit because of increasing Taliban attacks

Kabul: – The acting United States Secretary of Defence, Christopher Miller, paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan. During the visit, Miller held a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and took information regarding Afghanistan’s US military assistance. Last week, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley paid a secret visit to Afghanistan. These visits by the top brass of US defence are being viewed seriously against the background of the increasing Taliban attacks.

In these last three months, the Taliban has carried out 38 suicide attacks and 507 bomb blasts. The Afghan government published information that more than 487 Afghans were killed in the attacks and more than 1,000 were injured. Every day, the Taliban terrorists are targeting the Afghan soldiers, along with the local civilians. The Afghan government criticised that the Taliban has caused massive bloodshed in Helmand, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar provinces, and capital Kabul. The United Nations also had expressed concerns over the activities of the Taliban. The United States also had lashed out at the Taliban, taking cognisance of these attacks. The United States had made it clear that although the United States was withdrawing from Afghanistan, counter-terrorism activities will continue there. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also criticised the Taliban attacks and had said that the Afghan people want peace. General Scott Miller, Commander of the United States and NATO’s joint forces, also had blamed that the Taliban is perpetrating violence for its own benefit and the Taliban does not want to give up the path of violence.

During an interview with a US news channel, Miller, the Acting Secretary of Defence, had warned the Taliban while talking about the US military withdrawal. As per the agreement signed with the Taliban, although the United States is withdrawing its military from Afghanistan, it would continue to provide air and military support to the Afghan army for counter-terrorism missions.