{"id":35068,"date":"2018-11-19T21:00:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-19T21:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/19\/report-enemy-attacks-decrease-in-afghanistan-but-airstrikes-deaths-rise-as-urban-centers-remain-vulnerable\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:20:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:20:37","slug":"report-enemy-attacks-decrease-in-afghanistan-but-airstrikes-deaths-rise-as-urban-centers-remain-vulnerable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/11\/19\/report-enemy-attacks-decrease-in-afghanistan-but-airstrikes-deaths-rise-as-urban-centers-remain-vulnerable\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Enemy attacks decrease in Afghanistan but airstrikes, deaths rise as urban centers remain vulnerable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Though a 1,000-fighter strong Taliban takeover of Ghazni City was repelled by a combination of U.S. and Afghan forces<\/a> earlier this year, conditions remain for the insurgent group to take other vulnerable urban centers, according to a recent report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One urban center cited in particular is Farah City, which faced Taliban control as recently as May,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Defense Inspector General\u2019s quarterly report<\/a>, covering July to September, noted that progress is being made<\/a>, with an accompanying decrease in total enemy attacks, but an increase in both suicide attacks and civilian casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the U.S. Air Force is flying more than double the sorties and dropping five times as much ordnance than it was in mid-2017, according to the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. and coalition partners<\/a> maintain a \u201clist of urban centers\u201d vulnerable to Taliban attack. Several \u201clines of effort\u201d are being pursued to enhance the Afghanistan military\u2019s ability to secure these and other population centers, according to the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\t