Thousands flee violence

Afghan forces and Taliban clash amid US military pullout

Kandahar: Thousands of Afghans fled their homes as fighting erupted between government forces and the Taliban in a southern province after the US military began withdrawing its remaining troops from Afghanistan, officials said.

Afghan forces pushed back insurgent attacks on multiple checkpoints on Tuesday in the province of Helmand, where the US military on Sunday handed over a base to government forces as part of its formal pullout that began on May 1.

About 1,000 families have fled their homes to escape the fighting on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, and some other parts of the province, said Sayed Mohammad Ramin, the region’s director for refugees.

He said the families had taken refuge in Lashkar Gah.

The defence ministry said government forces had killed more than 100 Taliban fighters in Helmand on Tuesday when the insurgents attacked some checkpoints on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah.

Another 22 al-Qaeda fighters from Pakistan were also killed in the fighting, the ministry said.

Officials said the Taliban fighters initially captured some checkpoints, but they were retaken by government forces.

“The enemy has now lost all the areas it had captured and suffered heavy casualties,” said Attaullah Afghan, head of the Helmand provincial council.

The Taliban said dozens of Afghan troops were killed in the fighting. Both sides are known to exaggerate casualties inflicted on the other.

Fighting was also reported in several other provinces since the US military formally began pulling out its remaining 2,500 troops.

Nearly 20 years after US and allied Nato troops invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Taliban government as they pursued al-Qaeda after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, President Joe Biden ordered in April the final withdrawal.

The withdrawal, which is set to be completed by September, has raised fears that the Taliban will return full force.

A return to Taliban rule in Afghanistan would risk undoing the gains made in women’s rights since the group’s ousting nearly two decades ago, US intelligence warned in a declassified report.

According to the National Intelligence Council document, the insurgents’ views have not changed since their time in power between 1996 and the US military’s 2001 intervention.