Afghan troops in “desperate need of reinforcements” against Taliban

PanARMENIAN.Net - Afghan troops are fighting the Taliban across most of southern Helmand province and are in desperate need of reinforcements, an Afghan official said on Wednesday, January 20, according to the Associated Press.

Government forces are also facing serious challenges in Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah, said Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang, the provincial police chief.

"Our forces are exhausted and we need reinforcements," he said.

"We need fresh police and soldiers because our men have been fighting for the last month or two," Sarjang said.

Afghan police fight on the front-lines across Afghanistan, often without the equipment and backup of the army, which means casualties are higher.

Sarjang said he was in contact with central authorities in Kabul and was confident fresh reinforcement would be deployed soon.

A lack of coordination between the army and police was also hampering progress in the fight, he told the Associated Press.

The Taliban were making serious stands in seven districts — Sangin, Gereshk, Khanashin, Musa Qala, Nawzad, Washer and Marjah — and at least three districts of the capital are also under threat, he said.

Helmand is a strategic region for the Taliban, as it borders Pakistan. It grows large quantities of opium, used to produce most of the world's heroin. The harvest is worth up to $3 billion a year, and helps fund the insurgency.