US military could slow down its withdrawal from Afghanistan due to gains made by Taliban insurgents

The US military could slow down its withdrawal from Afghanistan due to the gains made by the Taliban insurgents.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Monday. He stressed that President Joe Biden’s deadline of a full withdrawal by September remains in place, but added that the pace could be adjusted based on conditions.

The situation in Afghanistan changes as the Taliban continue to conduct these attacks and to raid district centres as well as the violence, which is still too high, he told the media.

He added that, Pentagon is constantly taking a look at this, every single day: what’s the situation on the ground. All of these decisions



are literally being made in real time.

Pentagon officials said last week that the withdrawal, ordered by Biden in April after nearly two decades fighting Al-Qaeda and helping government forces battle the Taliban, is around half completed.

At the time of Biden’s order around 2,500 US troops and 16,000 contractors, mostly US citizens, were in the country. The Pentagon has already turned over several of its key bases to government security forces, and has removed hundreds of cargo plane-loads of equipment.

Kirby said, US forces continue to support Afghan troops in fighting the Taliban.