Dozens were killed in mutual attacks between Afghan forces and the Taliban, and the army declared a state of emergency in several states, while forces from Russia and Uzbekistan began military exercises on the border amid fears of a deteriorating security in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense reported that 36 Taliban militants were killed in an air raid carried out by Afghan forces near the city of Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.

A security source told Al Jazeera that the Afghan forces repelled an attack by Taliban militants on the headquarters of the "Takhta Bol" Directorate in the southern province of Kandahar.

The source added that US forces bombed Taliban positions in the districts of "Takhta Bol" and "Banjwayi" in Kandahar.

For its part, the Taliban said it had caused deaths and injuries in the ranks of the government forces by firing shells at an air base in Herat province.


military plan

Afghan President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani said that it became clear after recent meetings that the Taliban does not want peace, adding that a comprehensive military plan had been drawn up and that the situation would change within 6 months.

Ghani added - in a speech before parliament - that the government made major concessions for peace, but the Taliban escalated the situation throughout the country. Ghani accused the Taliban of not severing its relationship with international terrorism, but rather its strength, explaining that the movement is mistaken in its assessment of gaining power through force.

The president called for unity against the Taliban, stressing that the sudden withdrawal of US forces created a vacuum for the government to fill.

It is noteworthy that the spokesman for the Afghan forces said on Sunday that his country declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand (south) and Herat (west) due to the fighting with Taliban forces.

On the other hand, Al-Jazeera correspondent yesterday quoted a Taliban leader as saying that the movement stands at the outskirts of the capitals of the states, and does not seek to enter them because it is waiting to know the extent of the seriousness of the Afghan government in reaching a peace and reconciliation agreement.

The leader explained that if the government refuses to reach a peace agreement, the movement will advance to enter the state capitals.

Border exercises

In light of the recent developments in Afghanistan, forces from Russia and Uzbekistan began joint military exercises today, Monday, near the Afghan border, amid fears in both countries that the security situation in Afghanistan may deteriorate, with repercussions extending to Central Asia.

Russia stated that 1,500 Russian and Uzbek soldiers will participate in the 5-day exercises, which began at the Termez military site in Uzbekistan, according to the Russian TASS news agency.

The Russian Defense Ministry also indicated that 1,800 soldiers will participate in the exercises with Tajikistan instead of the number that was scheduled, which is 1,000, and added that more than 2,500 soldiers will participate in total.

Moscow fears this will destabilize its southern defensive front and send refugees into its backyard in Central Asia.

Afghanistan has been suffering a war since 2001, when an international military coalition led by Washington overthrew the Taliban regime, because it was linked at the time to al-Qaeda, which adopted the September 11 attacks of the same year in the United States.