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.\n<\/p>\n
“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.\n<\/p>\n
The ISAF has announced that combat troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.\n<\/p>\n
“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.”\n<\/p>\n
At least 444 British troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001, when they joined the US-led forces in the country.\n<\/p>\n
According to the website icasualties.org, 3,335 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led war began in October 2001.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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.\n<\/p>\n
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