Germany’s military authorities have rejected calls for the return of their military troops to Afghanistan.
The announcement came in response to MPs’ calls on the government to intervene in
Afghanistan again and end the Taliban’s sweeping offensive.
Taliban fighters took Kunduz city, where German troops were deployed for a decade.
However, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer rejected the calls.
“The reports from Kunduz and from all over Afghanistan are bitter and hurt a lot,” she tweeted.
“Our society and parliament prepared to send the armed forces into a war and remain
there with lots of troops for at least a generation? If we are not, then the joint withdrawal
with the partners remains the right decision.”
Germany Leaves Afghanistan
The last German troops left Afghanistan earlier last month, bringing to an end almost two
decades of involvement in the country.
Moreover, 750 containers’ worth of equipment had been shipped back to Germany by land
and air, including 120 vehicles and six helicopters.
More than 150,000 German troops have served in the country since
December 2001.
Since then, fifty-nine German troops have died in Afghan missions.
This came as the US military prepares its withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 2021,
a deadline set by US President Joe Biden to end America’s longest war.
Violence Returns to Afghanistan
Since the US announcement, Afghanistan has seen a spike in deadly Taliban assaults across
the country, leading to mounting casualties on all sides.
Thus, a new round of violence has violated a three-day truce declared by the Taliban and
the Afghan government.
At least 21 Taliban insurgents were killed during the armed clashes.
The army added that at least 13 Taliban fighters were also wounded in operation.
But, the Taliban have not yet commented.
The renewed violence pushed several rounds of meetings led by the US to restore calm in
the country.
The US envoy on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, flew to Qatar this week to “press the
Taliban to stop their military offensive.
