Villagers fear militants’ return outside US shadow
Achin, Afghanistan - Living in the shadow of a US military base had provided protection to villagers in eastern Afghanistan, but locals now say the recent withdrawal of foreign troops has left them exposed to militant attacks.
“When the Americans were here, there were drones in the air 24 hours a day and there were no Taliban and Islamic State,” said Kameen Khan, who lives near one former US base in the Achin district of Nangarhar province.
“In the months since they left the area, the Taliban and IS have restarted their activities,” he told AFP.
Dozens of US special forces set up shop in Achin - and at another base in neighbouring Haska Mina - to fight IS after the militants seized large parts of Nangarhar in 2015 and established a foothold in Afghanistan.
For a while, the province was terrorised by extremists, who sometimes beheaded locals or forced them to sit on bombs before detonating them.
They also destroyed health centres and forced schools to close.
For many in nearby towns and villages, the US arrival provided a welcome respite: Attacks dropped dramatically as drones and jets pummelled militant positions.