US: General Lloyd Austin dials Pakistan Army Chief as Afghanistan crisis deepens

With the conflict in Afghanistan turning bloodier with each passing day, US Defense Chief held a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart wherein both of the leaders analyzed the potential threats and security concerns of the region. According to a readout of their conversation released by the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin and General Qamar Javed Bajwa not only reiterated their commitment to better the relationship between the two countries but also deliberated upon prime concerns with regards to the ongoing Afghan crisis. “Secretary Austin and General Bajwa discussed the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, regional security and stability, and the bilateral defence relationship more broadly,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.

Austin, who had previously pointed out the fast momentum of Taliban insurgents, talked about the mutual goal of security and stability in the war-torn country. Taliban’s offensives first began after US President Joe Biden announced a complete retraction of American and foreign troops from the war-torn land. The fundamentalist group, which ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist in the 1990s, soon started gaining ground, seizing major cities and key border points. The offensives triggered a retaliatory reaction from the Afghan military which, supported by the US, launched targeted strikes at the insurgent’s hideouts.  

What's happening in Afghanistan?

In a major advancement, the Islamist insurgent group Taliban, on August 7, captured Sheberghan city in the northern province of Jawzjan making it the second provincial capital to fall in less than 24 hours. Previously, the fundamentalist group took control of Zaranj city in Nimroz province along with four other districts. Later, Al Jazeera reported citing Qader Malia, the deputy governor of Jawzjan, that all the government forces and officials in the capital have retreated to the airport, where they were planning a defence move. 

Later, Provincial councillor, Bismillah Sahil, revealed further and said that Taliban fighters had taken over all the government buildings in the city including the Governor’s building, police headquarters and central prison in the city. According to AP, residents also reported heavy airstrikes in the city. It is imperative to note that the city of Sheberghan also housed notorious warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, who reportedly returned back home earlier this week after undergoing medical treatment in Turkey. 

Image: AP/Iamcoas/Twitter