General Votel Says Battlefield Losses for Afghan Forces are Rising
General Votel Says Battlefield Losses for Afghan Forces are Rising by Robert Burns – AP
Afghan military and police forces had higher numbers of battlefield casualties in a “difficult and bloody summer” of fighting the Taliban insurgency, the American general overseeing the war said Thursday.
Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters at the Pentagon that the Afghan losses are “an area of important focus” for the newly installed U.S. commander in Kabul, Army Gen. Scott Miller. Votel did not say how many Afghan troops have been killed this year but noted that Afghan officials have said the casualties will not deter them.
Asked directly whether the number of Afghan casualties had increased this year over 2017, Votel said, “It’s my understanding that it is increasing.”…