Following US Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Taliban's Influence Continues To Flourish
July 7, 2021, 3:08 am

Following US Withdrawal From Afghanistan, Taliban's Influence Continues To Flourish

According to Sputnik, as most US forces seek to remove all US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban's influence continues to flourish in the region, from the seizure of US-made, Afghan weapons, to the capturing of districts.

Earlier yesterday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US military has completed more than 90% of its withdrawal process from Afghanistan. The July 6 release also noted that the US has officially transferred seven facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.

Taliban forces at the recently-captured Sultan Khil military base in Afghanistan's Wardak Province invited Sky News to their strategic facility, shortly after engaging with Afghan soldiers for two days.

A Taliban commander revealed to the British outlet that militants acquired a number of weapons and military equipment from the government forces: 70 sniper rifles; 900 guns; 30 Humvees; 20 military pickup trucks; and 15 articulated military trucks.

Many of the Afghan military items seized by Taliban forces were emblazoned with "Property of USA Government," according to the outlet.

The battle in question was just one of many that occurred in northern Afghanistan over the past several days. Per the Associated Press, the Taliban controls a third of Afghanistan's 421 districts and district centers.

Sputnik reported, citing Mohib-ul Rahman, a council member in the northeastern Badakhshan province as saying that "Unfortunately, the majority of the districts were left to Taliban without any fight."

Citing poor morale and low government forces, Rahman said that, of the 10 districts that fell to the Taliban, eight were captured without a fight.

Overall, 195 Afghan districts (49%) are under Taliban control. At least 120 districts have been captured by the militants since May 1, according to estimates by the Long War Journal.

The Afghan government's security issues have been compounded in recent months due to the ongoing pullout of US forces from the area.

As of this article's publication, more than 90% of the pullout has been completed, according to CENTCOM.

Though the US military is slated to complete its withdrawal by September 11, the unified combatant command noted in its Tuesday news release that no further percentages regarding the pullout will be published in the future.

Source: Sputnik

Image source: AP-Sputnik

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”