KABUL • Civilians in Afghanistan have taken up arms to push back against the Taleban as the militants fight for control of a crucial northern city and make deeper territorial inroads ahead of the full pullout of US forces by September.
The insurgents are battling to take control of strategic cities in the country's north, including its regional hub Mazar-e-Sharif, after capturing dozens of districts over the last two months.
"Thousands of Afghan forces and armed civilians are prepared to defend the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, its outskirts and the districts that have been lost," said Mr Mohammad Farhad Azimi, governor of Balkh province, whose provincial capital is Mazar-e-Sharif.
Afghan soldiers recaptured two districts in Balkh and the nearby Baghlan province during a fierce overnight battle that left 80 Taleban fighters dead, the country's defence ministry said yesterday.
The spiralling violence underscores the Taleban's intentions to grab power by force as the US exits its two-decade-old war. The push to control more territory comes even as the militants are negotiating with the government of President Ashraf Ghani to ostensibly reach a power-sharing agreement.
Since the US announcement in April to exit Afghanistan, the militants have grabbed control of over 50 districts, according to the Long War Journal. It now controls 118 of the country's 407 districts, with another 190 being fought over.
The US will pull out its remaining 2,500 troops by Sept 11 and American air support for Afghan forces will also end. The 7,000 troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member countries - who train and advise Afghan forces - will follow suit.
President Ghani and Mr Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the country's reconciliation council, will be heading to the US tomorrow for talks with President Joe Biden.
While the Taleban has been strengthened by the imminent US pullout, Afghan forces will continue to fight to defend the country, Mr Abdullah said last week.
Washington's push for a peaceful settlement between the warring groups has so far been futile. There has been no breakthrough since talks between Mr Ghani's officials and the Taleban began last September in Qatar, where the militant group has a political office.
A power-sharing deal is unlikely and the Taleban's recent territorial gains point to a forceful takeover, said analyst Madiha Afzal from the Brookings Institution. The United Nations has warned that the group remains aligned with Al-Qaeda.
Violence has flared up across Afghanistan, with civilian casualties having risen by 29 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, said the UN's top envoy in Afghanistan Deborah Lyons.
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