KABUL - The United States military carried out as many as 1,113 strikes in Afghanistan in September, according to data released by the military on October 27.
The number of US strikes in Afghanistan has been increasing in recent months. In August, it was 810, and 537 in July, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
US Forces in Afghanistan said that the strikes involved fighter, attack, bomber,rotary-wing, or remotely piloted aircraft, rocket propelled artillery and ground-based tactical artillery.
The rise in the number of strikes comes in the same month US President Donald Trump halted peace talks with the Taliban, citing a deadly attack in Kabul that killed also a US soldier.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly stated that the US is hitting the Taliban harder.
Earlier this month, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed that the US had stepped up attacks on the Taliban since the talks broke down.
“The president did want us to pick up in response to the heinous attacks that the Taliban and others conducted throughout Afghanistan,” Esper said.
US Forces in Afghanistan said that such strikes enable Afghan forces’ operations and compliment the Resolute Support train, advise and assist mission, as Afghanistan and the international community continue to apply “judicious military pressure to enable the Taliban’s eventual reconciliation, reintegration and realignment.” (1TV News)