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The knot in Afghanistan is tying up ever tighter, as clashes between government forces and the Taliban are happening throughout the country.
Generally, the Taliban come out on top, but on July 8th, in Badghis it was different.
On July 7th, Taliban fighters stormed the capital city – Qala-e-Naw, expecting to easily “liberate” it.
The fighters stormed key government buildings and freed around 600 prisoners from the provicial central prison.
However, the group met with heavy resistance from government forces.
Qala-e-Naw is currently in the hands of government forces.
Clashes with Taliban fighters are still ongoing in the city’s outskirts.
According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, 69 Taliban fighters were killed and 23 others were wounded in recent operations in the outskirts of Qala-e-Naw.
Loads of weapons and ammunition were also captured from the group.
The rest of the province is in Taliban hands, and likely it is just a matter of time until the capital falls.
Government forces have lost many of the contested districts in recent days, with the Zendah Jan district in Herat province falling into the insurgents’ hands.
Clashes between the Taliban and Afghan armies were reported in the Nawur district in Ghazni province, which is still heavily contested in the central region.
Iran is attempting to assist the negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban, by hosting a meeting between both delegations in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the talks “substantive” saying that no impediment remains for Afghans of all political stripes to chart a peaceful and prosperous future for the next generation.
In a six-point joint statement issued by Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem, the two sides agreed that continuing the war was dangerous for the country and all efforts must be made to find a peaceful solution.
However, as far as Turkey is concerned it is ready to throw a wrench in those plans.
On July 6th, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Ankara was preparing to send Syrian militants to Afghanistan.
What role they will fill remains unclear, as Turkey is currently priming to provide security to the Kabul airport and nothing more.
Turkey appears to be heading to a military adventure in Afghanistan.
The Taliban has already warned Ankara against keeping any troops in the country after September 11th.
Judging by Turkey’s recent operations in Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and its successive operations in Syria and Iraq, Ankara is unlikely to listen to any reason or warnings.
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