Heavy fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants is taking its toll, as large numbers of casualties across the country are pushing recently trained Afghan air medical evacuation crews to their limits.
During one week in August alone, between Aug. 22 and 29, Afghan crews recovered 125 Afghan troops killed and more than 280 wounded, according to U.S. military documents reviewed by The Washington Post on Thursday. The casualties — equating to almost 18 dead per day — were spread across 37 different locations all over the country. By comparison, the worst month for U.S. forces was August 2011, when 71 were killed.
The snapshot of the Afghan dead and wounded – tracked closely by the U.S. military – helps illustrate the staggering casualty numbers that increasingly weigh on top U.S. generals, given what they say about the state of the war in Afghanistan 15 years after American forces first toppled the Taliban and the Afghan security forces’ ability to keep fighting an entrenched insurgency.
You've reached your daily free article limit.
Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.
Heavy fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants is taking its toll, as large numbers of casualties across the country are pushing recently trained Afghan air medical evacuation crews to their limits.
During one week in August alone, between Aug. 22 and 29, Afghan crews recovered 125 Afghan troops killed and more than 280 wounded, according to U.S. military documents reviewed by The Washington Post on Thursday. The casualties — equating to almost 18 dead per day — were spread across 37 different locations all over the country. By comparison, the worst month for U.S. forces was August 2011, when 71 were killed.
The snapshot of the Afghan dead and wounded – tracked closely by the U.S. military – helps illustrate the staggering casualty numbers that increasingly weigh on top U.S. generals, given what they say about the state of the war in Afghanistan 15 years after American forces first toppled the Taliban and the Afghan security forces’ ability to keep fighting an entrenched insurgency.
Read More- Washington Post
Image courtesy of AP
Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.
TRY 14 DAYS FREEAlready a subscriber? Log In
COMMENTS
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.