Afghan government loses 2 percent of territory in 3 months
The Afghan government lost control or influence between May and August over two percent of the territory it controlled, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report on Sunday, a sign of the precarious security situation in the country and challenges posed by the Taliban and other militant groups.
Fifteen years after the United States invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban rulers who had harbored al Qaeda militants who attacked the United States, the Taliban have made major gains and are estimated to control more territory than at any time since 2001.
The report, published by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), said the area under Afghan government "control or influence" had decreased to 63.4 percent by the end of August from 65.6 percent near the end of May, based on data provided by US forces in Afghanistan.
