US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) said that he does not regret his decision to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan amid the Taliban offensive which till now has captured eight provinces.
Biden urged Afghanistan's leaders to unite and "fight for their nation" against the Taliban terrorists and said he did not regret deciding to withdraw US troops from the country, reported Anadolu News Agency.
"Afghan leaders have to come together," Biden told reporters. "They've got to fight for themselves."
Biden said that he will keep commitments to Afghanistan but insists leaders must unify to fight the Taliban.
"I'll insist we continue to keep the commitments we made, providing close air support, making sure that their Air Force functions and is operable, resupplying their forces with food and equipment, and paying all their salaries. But they've got to fight," Biden told reporters at the White House.
"I think they're beginning to realize they've got to come together politically at the top, and we're going to keep our commitment. But I do not regret my decision," he added, reported Anadolu News Agency.
The full departure of US troops is expected to be completed by month's end and the Pentagon has continued to state the process is more than 95 per cent complete.
Earlier Tuesday, the Taliban entered Baghlan in north Afghanistan and Farah in western Afghanistan. Till now the Taliban have captured eight provinces - Farah, Baghlan, Kunduz, Taluqan city, Sheberghan, Zaranj, Nimroz and Samangan.
Meanwhile, in a major push to repel advancing Taliban from urban centers, Afghan forces claimed that it killed 361 insurgents in air and ground offensives in the past 24 hours, reported Anadolu News Agency.
The Afghan Defense Ministry said the operations were conducted in the Nangarhar, Kunar, Logar, Paktia, Paktika, Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, Sar-e Pol, Helmand, Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.
Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against Afghan forces and civilians with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.
( With inputs from ANI )
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