Afghanistan Situation 'Extremely Unstable' One Year After NATO's Departure

A year after the withdrawal of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops from Afghanistan, the situation in the country remains tense, not least due to Daesh militants, according to Russia's Afghanistan expert Andrey Serenko.

In an interview with Sputnik, Russia's Afghanistan expert Andrey Serenko said that after the end of the 13-year ISAF mission in Afghanistan on December 8, 2014, the situation in the country remains "extremely unstable".

He attributed it to the fact that apart from the Taliban, Afghan authorities are now also grappling with militants from Daesh (ISIS/ISIL).

"'The Afghan game' continues amid the emergence of Daesh and an inner split in the Taliban, which is currently gathering strength in the country," Serenko said.

He also referred to the political instability, conflict intensity and ever-increasing number of "active armed actions" in Afghanistan.

"In this sense, it is safe to speak about the deterioration of the security situation [there]," Serenko added.

According to him, the emergence of Daesh coincided with a reduction in the military activity of NATO countries in Afghanistan. 

"The Afghan security forces cannot fully carry out their duties on their own. The number of Afghan army servicemen and police is out of line with the challenges that they face," he said.

He referred to a lack of combat helicopters, ammunition and infrastructure related to fighting drug trafficking, something that Serenko said complicates the work of the Afghan security forces.

Acting without external support is a tricky task, which is why the Afghan security forces suffer heavy losses, Serenko said, adding that up to 30 Afghan servicemen and policemen die every day, according to unofficial information.