SVETLOGORSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2018) Moscow is alarmed by the recent Taliban attacks in northern and southeastern Afghanistan, particularly the group's attempts to capture military bases, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.
On Sunday, local media reported that at least 103 people died and 133 were injured in clashes between the Taliban and government forces in the southeastern province of Ghazni. Since Monday, Taliban militants also captured a military base in Faryab and reportedly attacked another base in Baghlan, killing over 60 Afghan security personnel.
"We are, with concern, following the situation in Ghazni province, where the Taliban managed to occupy and hold a significant portion of the city of Ghazni for several days ... The Taliban movement continues to hold the neighboring counties. We [also] took a note of the escalation of tensions in the northern provinces, including in connection with the Taliban attacks on the Afghan army base in Faryab province," Zakharova told a briefing.
She added that the Afghan army and police had difficulties maintaining control over the situation in the country.
Afghanistan has long been suffering from an unstable security situation. The government has been fighting the Taliban, which has been waging a war against Kabul for almost two decades, and the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia), which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2015.
