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Taliban Attacks Getting More Effective, SIGAR Says

Ayesha Tanzeem

   ISLAMABAD - Attacks carried out by Taliban and other insurgent groups
   in Afghanistan were twice as effective in the third quarter of 2019
   than they were earlier in the year, according to a leading oversight
   authority on Afghanistan that reports to the United States Congress.

   "Roughly half of the 3,495 EIA (enemy initiated attacks) this quarter
   (49% from June 1 to August 31) were considered "effective"
   enemy-initiated attacks (EEIA) that resulted in ANDSF, Coalition, or
   civilian casualties. Enemy attacks have been more effective this
   quarter than they were during the preceding months of this year (42%
   effective from January-May 2019)," according to the latest quarterly
   report presented to the Congress Thursday by the U.S. Special Inspector
   General on Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

   In addition, the report said, the number of attacks on Afghan
   government or coalition forces also increased compared to last summer.

   "RS (Resolute Support, the NATO mission) reported 7,183 EIA (enemy
   initiated attacks) this quarter (June 1-August 31, 2019), with most
   attacks occurring in the south, west and northwest of the country," the
   SIGAR report said.

   More bombs dropped

   On the other hand, Afghan security forces increased their ground
   operations and air strikes, and the U.S. and coalition forces dropped
   more bombs in September this year, 948 according to U.S. Air Force
   Central Command, than at any time since October 2010.

   "According to NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan
   (NSOCC-A), the 2,531 ground operations conducted by ASSF (Afghan
   Special Security Forces) from January-September 2019 have already
   outpaced the total for all of 2018 (2,365)," the report added.

   The heightened intensity in fighting is responsible for raising the
   level of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in recent months.

   The Unites Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recorded
   what it called an "unprecedented number of civilian casualties" in the
   third quarter of 2019.

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