Taliban forces take control of key district in Afghanistan's Helmand province

[Areesh]

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)Taliban forces have taken almost full control of a key district in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province after several days of fierce fighting, a police official told CNN on Monday.

The Taliban took over the entire district except for the police chief's compound and another compound where a battalion of Afghan National Army is based in, according to Mohammad Dawood, the police chief of Sangin district in the province.

Dawood said the fighting in the district had been going on for more than a month, but was in its worst stage in the past three days.

He added that they have sustained heavy casualties and are almost out of ammunition.

Mohammad Jan Rasolyaar, deputy governor of Helmand province, took an unusual step over the weekend to ask President Ashraf Ghani for help in an open letter on Facebook.

He said he had no other options left to deliver his message and explain the real situation in Helmand to the President but to turn to Facebook.

Rasolyaar said people around the President didn't want him to know about the reality on the ground there.

He warned that all Helmand province could fall to the Taliban if the President didn't take any action to save it.

Rasolyaar mentioned Sangin district in his message, saying its main bazaar and the government office were under heavy attack by the Taliban. During the recent intense fighting in Sangin and Greshk districts, 90 Afghan security forces had been killed, he said.plosion kills 6 officers in Kabul; Taliban claims

Taliban take control of Afghanistan's Helmand province - CNN.com

 

[Zibago]

Taliban take control of Afghanistan's Helmand province - CNN.com

They will blame us for this defeat again like we are their bodyguards

 

[barbarosa]

It is not only a bad news for Afghan govt but also for a super man of the world. Afghan govt will soon blame on ISI as Indian govt.

 

[AUz]

I bet they'll find "Pakistani ID cards" on dead Talis soon enough.

After fall of Kunar, my Afghan friend was telling me how Afghan news all over Afghanistan were reporting that Pakistani ID cards were found on dead Talibans. I never understood that if Pakistan was really involved directly, why the f*ck would we carry our IDs with us so that entire world knows that we are doing it?! Does it make any sense?

Hopefully peace prevails in Afghanistan!

 

[chhota bheem]

Bad news ,and still some people want Afganistan to talk to taliban.

 

[rockstar08]

Not surprised at all ..
Doval is returning the favor to Afghani's as usual ..

 

[TMA]

Bad news ,and still some people want Afganistan to talk to taliban.

You should listen to Anatol Lieven. He says that the Afghan Taliban cannot be wished away. Pakistan supporting them or not. They are not an insignificant section of Afghanistan. He feels that the only way to peace is a negotiation of all the warring parties...the alternative is more fighting.

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

Clear incompetence of Afghan Army and intelligence. They will blame Pakistan but how long this excuse will work ? The weak Afghan administration neither can defeat the Talibans nor they want to talk to them. So the stalemate continues.

 

[saiyan0321]

Oh come on ANA. Do something and be vigilant. This is getting out of hand and the federal govt would actually do something if they weren't blaming us all the time.

Hundred percent sure they would blame this on us.

 

[UniverseWatcher]

How about we see some ground action from Indian army against taliban

 

[pakistani342]

A good news

Anybody understand the bread and scope of this? Is it comparable to the Kunduz debacle? I wonder if there are parallels to the recent Kunduz debacle?

Was the governor really unable to reach Ghani or is he just washing his hands clean and shifting the blame on Ghani?

@Sher Malang, @A-Team, is there any truth to this? What's the chatter from inside Afghanistan.

hopefully this is not another Sun Tzu by Ghani sab

 

[war&peace]

Anybody understand the bread and scope of this? Is it comparable to the Kunduz debacle? I wonder if there are parallels to the recent Kunduz debacle?

Was the governor really unable to reach Ghani or is he just washing his hands clean and shifting the blame on Ghani?

@Sher Malang, @A-Team, is there any truth to this? What's the chatter from inside Afghanistan.

hopefully this is not another Sun Tzu by Ghani sab

They are not that serious since they do not provide even the basic arms and even the salaries to the soldiers. Governor is a brave man and he fights Taliban and ISIS with limited resources. Ghani and others are just busy in enjoying their lives in presidential palaces. There are videos on yt to find out facts. Talibans are gaining control day by day because they are motivated people. They are also fighting ISIS which is commendable and are much more effective than the paid ANA. Thus I see Talibans as a much better people to deal with than both (1) Pakphobic NDS ungrateful and disgraceful terrorists who have been supporting Indian RAW terrorists i.e. TTP, and (2) the ISIS. Tablibans enjoy a strong support from majority of Afghans that is the reason for their success and survival against much equipped NATO.

Oh come on ANA. Do something and be vigilant. This is getting out of hand and the federal govt would actually do something if they weren't blaming us all the time.

Hundred percent sure they would blame this on us.

There is no hope since ANA is ineffective despite billions of dollars poured on them by USA; they are corrupt and incompetent (normally these two run hand in hand).

 

[That Guy]

A good news

No, it is not. This is terrible news, and one that will embolden the TTP. Lest we forget, the taliban acted similarly towards Pakistan, when they were in power, as Karzai did. In fact, the taliban threatened military action against Pakistan, if Pakistan tried to secure the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. what makes you think they won't do so again, if they come back to power?

Politically and militarily, support for the Afghan taliban, within Pakistani establishment is near death. This is a major reason why Pakistan has been forcing the taliban to the negotiating table. Pakistan truely sees Ghani as their man, and his anti-Pakistani rhetoric as nothing more than for domestic consumption and to appease the hardliners within the government. We can, however, see Ghani purging anti-Pakistani people from his government slowly, and decreasing the anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

The fact that Pakistan is merely weeks away from holding new talks between the taliban and Afghanistan is proof enough that Ghani and Islamabad are on the same page.

 

[war&peace]

No, it is not. This is terrible news, and one that will embolden the TTP. Lest we forget, the taliban acted similarly towards Pakistan, when they were in power, as Karzai did. In fact, the taliban threatened military action against Pakistan, if Pakistan tried to secure the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. what makes you think they won't do so again, if they come back to power?

Politically and militarily, support for the Afghan taliban, within Pakistani establishment is near death. This is a major reason why Pakistan has been forcing the taliban to the negotiating table. Pakistan truely sees Ghani as their man, and his anti-Pakistani rhetoric as nothing more than for domestic consumption and to appease the hardliners within the government. We can, however, see Ghani purging anti-Pakistani people from his government slowly, and decreasing the anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

The fact that Pakistan is merely weeks away from holding new talks between the taliban and Afghanistan is proof enough that Ghani and Islamabad are on the same page.

I did not say happily this is a good news. But the ANA- has been incompetent and ineffective in stopping them. They have failed on many levels...not only to bring peace to Afghanistan,... but also they become complicit with RAW and supported TTP against Pakistan and there is a lot of evidence which Pak Army has provided to USA. Furthermore, TTP will not be emboldened at all if you look at the ground realities, TTP has been with NDS; Taliban enemies and now with ISIS again enemy of Taliban. Everybody recognises, even their worst critics, that Taliban has no designs to expand beyond the borders of Afghanistan unlike ISIS and TTP. But still I'm not happy with them but they are the better than the other alternatives. I never heard Talibans making statements against Pakistan but I hear Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai and NDS spitting venom against Pakistan every other day....Can you please show any such statement by Taliban against Pakistan despite we sided with USA against them.
We should talk with reference not just by personal opinions. Do I prefer Taliban over venomous NDS --- Yes of course, Do I prefer Taliban over ISIS + TTP ---- Yes, of course.
Let not be childish and sell ourselves cheap to the media propaganda without credibility. Look at the ground situation. They are gaining weight day by day and we should decided in the best national interest of Pakistan.

Politically and militarily, support for the Afghan taliban, within Pakistani establishment is near death. This is a major reason why Pakistan has been forcing the taliban to the negotiating table. Pakistan truely sees Ghani as their man, and his anti-Pakistani rhetoric as nothing more than for domestic consumption and to appease the hardliners within the government. We can, however, see Ghani purging anti-Pakistani people from his government slowly, and decreasing the anti-Pakistan rhetoric.

Is it really true. If so then we should back him up and get him out of Indian and anti- Pakistani influences. I thought that too but I'm not really sure if he can deliver? How can we strengthen him. in end we want peace in Afghanistan and also the safeguard Pakistan's national interest.

 

[Genghis khan1]

US commander knew this gonna happen very well. Civilian leadership just don't want to admit the reality on ground. They think pouring more $$$$ coupled with CIA stunts will produce some miracle. 90% of ANA just don't give a sh*t. All they care is their pay check for their Hashish and under age pu**y in their home village that they want to get married too.