Hit-and-run battles rage between the Afghan army and Taliban fighters in the north and center of the country, and while the movement warned Turkey on Tuesday against keeping its forces in Afghanistan, Moscow, in turn, warned Washington against transferring its forces to Central Asian countries.

The Taliban announced that its militants had taken control of the headquarters of the Sighan Directorate in the ancient province of Bamiyan (central Afghanistan).

The Taliban also managed to control districts and checkpoints in Bamiyan province after violent battles with government forces.

For its part, the Afghan Ministry of Defense announced that 32 Taliban militants were killed in air strikes carried out by Afghan forces in Karan and Manjan districts in Badakhshan province in northern Afghanistan.

In turn, Afghan National Security Council Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said that "the withdrawal of US forces has created a security gap that the country is trying to overcome soon."

Meanwhile, a security official told Al-Jazeera that 3 Afghan policemen were killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen east of Kabul.

Al-Jazeera correspondent quoted a Pentagon official as saying that US forces had completed 95% of the military withdrawal process from Afghanistan.

The commander of the US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie, assumed command of the mission in Afghanistan, succeeding Commander Scott Miller, whose military mission in Afghanistan ended.

US Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby said that Taliban control of all of Afghanistan is not inevitable.

Kirby confirmed in a press conference at the Pentagon that General Kenneth McKenzie - who took over the leadership of US forces in Afghanistan - has a mandate to launch air strikes against the Taliban during the summer.

Warning to Turkey

In a related context, the Taliban movement warned Turkey on Tuesday against keeping its forces in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the international forces led by the United States from the country, stressing that such a decision is "reprehensible."

The movement declared in a statement that "the decision of the Turkish leaders is not wise, because it is a violation of our sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and it is contrary to our national interests."

The United States welcomed what it called "Turkey's constructive role" in the ongoing efforts to withdraw foreign forces from Afghanistan.

"We certainly welcome Turkey's constructive role with regard to the withdrawal of forces and the security situation in Afghanistan," State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday evening in a press statement.

And in late June, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that it had discussed with a US delegation areas of cooperation regarding the operation of Hamid Karzai International Airport.

At that time, the ministry said in a statement that the two sides discussed areas of cooperation on operating the airport after the end of the NATO "Resolute Support" mission in Afghanistan.

Russian refusal

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the establishment of US military bases in Central Asia would not be in the interest of the region's security.

Lavrov added in a press conference held yesterday that Washington wants to establish new military bases in the Central Asian region with the aim of attacking Afghanistan in the future.

He added, "I do not think that the emergence of new American forces and facilities in Central Asia may be in the interest of security in this region."

He recalled the need for the approval of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the event that any country wanted to establish a military entity in Central Asia.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an international organization and a military alliance that was established in 1992 and is headquartered in Moscow.

The organization includes 6 former Soviet countries: Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.