“Tactical retreat” or collusion with Taliban?

On May 21, a video clip went viral which showed a group of army soldiers who surrendered to the Taliban in Jalrez district of Maidan Wardak province. A spokesperson of the Afghan defense ministry later claimed that the Afghan forces had made a “tactical retreat”. The incident in Jalrez occurred while earlier Dawlat Shah district of Laghman fell to the Taliban. Three weeks ago the militants overran Burka district of Baghlan and Nirkh district of Maidan Wardak. The Afghan defense and security forces managed to repel the militants’ attacks on Qarabagh district of Ghazni and Baghlan-e-Markazi district of Baghlan as they got close to take over the two districts.

The Afghan security forces have suffered casualties and the militants seized a large number of weapons.