Afghan forces’ casualties high in 2016: US general

Afghan security forces are suffering rising levels of battlefield casualties this year and some of the Taliban’s finances have been disrupted after a U.S. airstrike killed their leader, top US commander in Afghanistan has said.

Reuters has quoted U.S. Army General and the commander of NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, John Nicholson telling a small group of reporters that the rising casualties were largely the result of Taliban attacks on fixed Afghan positions.

“This year, we’re seeing more tactical success (by the Afghans) on the battlefield but more casualties as well,” Nicholson quoted by Reuters saying this late on Saturday.

“It’s when they’re in a defensive posture, such as in checkpoints being overrun, is where the majority of the casualties are occurring,” he added.

According to the figures in 2015 more than 5,000 Afghan forces were killed and over 14,000 were wounded in the fight against the insurgents.

Nicolson said Akhtar Mansour, the supreme leader of Taliban who was killed in US drone strike, had tight control of Taliban finances.

“So what we’re seeing are some indications that some of the finances of the organization have been disrupted,” he said.

U.S. commander also added that Mansour’s successor, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, is not a unifying figure within the Taliban ranks and the group were struggling after the killing of Mansour.

Despite the previouse plan last week U.S. president Barak Obama announced that he plans to keep 8,400 US troops until the end of his term.

U.S. allies also renewed their commitments on Saturday to support the Afghan security forces till 2020.