The National Security Council (NSC) has asked the Afghan forces to increase their offensive operations against militants across the country.

A spokesman of the NSC said in a recorded video message, received by TOLOnews on Friday, that the decision has been made to ensure the safety of the people and reduce casualties among government forces.

“The National Security Council has asked the security and defense agencies to increase their offensive operations against the enemy in all parts of the country to safeguard people’s lives. Currently, our National Security and Defense Forces are fighting against the enemies of the people in different parts of the country,” the NSC deputy spokesman Tariq Aryan said. 

The remarks come after the Ministry of Interior on Sunday confirmed there has been a sharp rise in casualties among security forces in the past few weeks after Taliban insurgents expanded their attacks on multiple fronts.

“This year, the Afghan security forces had vast movements across the country, whenever the role of security forces is increased in war, it is natural the number of casualties would also increase,” the Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said this week.

Jaghor, Khogyani and Malistan districts in Ghazni; Dasht-e-Archi in Kunduz; Farah city in Farah; Barka and Dahan-e-Ghori districts in Baghlan; and Trinkot in Uruzgan are among the areas where the Taliban launched fresh offensives to challenge government forces in recent weeks.

According to reports, fighting is ongoing between the Taliban and Afghan forces in Ghazni’s Malistan and Jaghori districts.

The Ministry of Defense on Thursday said reinforcement troops have been sent to Jaghori district in Ghazni province and Baghlan’s Dahana-e-Ghori District to repel Taliban attacks in the two regions.

President Ashraf Ghani has also confirmed that government forces casualties are high.  

“American losses in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014 were 2,357. And since 2015, still much regrettable, but the entire loss of American forces in Afghanistan is 58 Americans. In the same period (Since 2015), 28,529 of our security forces have lost their lives and become martyrs for our freedom,” the president said as he addressed audiences in Johns Hopkins University in US through a video conference.

Reports indicate that heavy fights are ongoing between government forces and Taliban in 11 provinces of the country.

A number of former military officers say that poor management and lack of equipment and on-time backup are the reasons behind an increase in insecurity and high death toll among Afghan forces. 

According to former military officers, offensive operations of the Afghan forces would be more effective if they are equipped and managed well on the battlefields.