Kabul: In the last 24 hours, the Afghan Armed Forces killed 210 Taliban militants and indicated that they are coping in this conflict. However, reports revealed the Afghan Forces’ soldiers are fleeing their check-posts after Taliban attacks in some locations. Australia shut its embassy in the Afghan capital city, Kabul, due to the rising threat of the Taliban. On the other hand, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared that the US Army would withdraw from Afghanistan slightly ahead of schedule.    

As per the information given by the Afghan Defence Ministry, 210 Taliban militants are dead and 95 injured in operations conducted across 16 provinces in the last 24 hours. Of these, 35 were slain in Kunduz and 23 in Balkh. Furthermore, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the Afghan Forces are coping in the Afghan-Taliban conflict. At the same time, news reports suggest Afghan soldiers had fled from 26 check-posts across four provinces due to the militant attacks last month. It includes seven check-posts in Laghman province. Moreover, the Taliban seized a massive cache of arms, ammunition and food supplies in the area.    

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden had declared that the US Army would withdraw completely by 11 September. Nevertheless, US Defense Secretary Austin clarified before the US congress that the US soldiers would withdraw slightly before the announced schedule. According to reports, Austin had spoken to Pakistani Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa before he made the statement.