Foreign forces in Afghanistan should prepare themselves for more Taliban attacks in the coming months, the deputy commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has said.
“I think we should expect (the Taliban) to attack international forces and internationals more generally,” British Lt. General Nick Carter said in an interview with Reuters that was published on Saturday.
The ISAF has announced that combat troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
“There’s definitely a sense that the Taliban would like to appear to compel the international community’s withdrawal, and certainly ISAF’s withdrawal,” said Carter. “That chimes with an obvious narrative.”
At least 444 British troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001, when they joined the US-led forces in the country.
According to the website icasualties.org, 3,335 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led war began in October 2001.
Thousands of Afghan civilians, including a large number of women and children, have been killed during night raids by foreign forces and CIA-run assassination drone strikes.
The increasing number of casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger against the US and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.
The US-led war in Afghanistan removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across Afghanistan, despite the presence of about 100,000 US-led troops.
GJH/AS
This article originally appeared on: Press TV