New Delhi: With the Taliban’s blitzkrieg offensive continuing unabated on Wednesday as the key city of Kunduz fell, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani replaced the army chief of staff General Wali Ahmadzai with General Hibatullah Alizai.
Appointed in June, Gen Ahmadzai had cancelled his visit to New Delhi last month because of the rapid Taliban advance.
The shock move may have been prompted by reports that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) or the regular Afghanistan government troops were not quite putting up a fight and that hundreds had deserted their ranks along with their weapons to join the Taliban especially on Wednesday when the Taliban overran the strategically important Kunduz airport.
Among the war equipments that fell into Taliban hands during the Kunduz battle was a M-35 helicopter belonging to the Afghanistan Air Force that was gifted by India.
Till now India has gifted four helicopters to Afghanistan besides offering other military help including training of the ANDSF officers and men.
Military air assets, spares and related equipment from India are at the top of the wish-list of the ANDSF.
In the blitzkrieg offensive that the Taliban in employing against the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghanistan government at Kabul, it is the special forces unit of the Taliban called the “Sara Kheta” (‘Red Unit’ in Pashto) that is the spearhead.
Raised with the aim of taking on the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) or the regular Afghanistan government troops and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) trained commandos, the Red Unit fighters are much better trained and equipped. They are dressed in battle fatigues unlike the loose-fitting robe and a turban that an ordinary Taliban foot-soldier dons.
In the last five days since August 6, the Taliban have gained control of nine of the 34 provincial capitals that include Kunduz, Faizabad, Sar-e Pol, Taloqan, Zaranj, Sheberghan, Pol-e Khomri, Farah city, and Aybak.
The latest Taliban offensive began on May 1 and gained traction with large-scale withdrawal of the US forces from the war-ravaged country. The US forces are expected to complete their hasty withdrawal by September.
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