Over 1,000 Afghan troops flee to Tajikistan after clashes with Taliban

KABUL: More than 1,000 Afghan troops fled into neighbouring Tajikistan on Monday following clashes with the Taliban, as the insurgents amassed momentum on the battlefield.

The exodus of troops followed another weekend of fighting across much of the northern countryside where the Taliban have overrun dozens of districts, spurring fears that Afghan forces are in crisis. “They did not want to surrender. They had asked for reinforcements but their call was ignored,” said Abdul Basir, a soldier based with a battalion in Badakhshan province that had members flee over the border.

Afghan troops had already crossed into Tajikistan following earlier clashes that saw the Taliban take control of a major border crossing between the countries. The Afghan government has vowed to launch a counteroffensive in the north. Hamdullah Mohib, the country’s national security advisor, told Russia’s RIA news agency that an operation was “absolutely” in the works.