Taliban and US launch fresh attacks and airstrikes in Afghanistan as peace talks continue in Qatar

Fresh round of violence in Lashkar Gah comes after President Trump tweeted about the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and amid uncertainty ahead of the US election, reports Kim Sengupta

Afghan security officials and private militia patrol on Helmand-Kandahar highway (EPA)

Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand and the former centre of the long British military mission in Afghanistan, is coming under waves of attacks from the Taliban with the US carrying out airstrikes in an attempt to halt the offensive.

The assault, which has also targeted other strategic locations in the province, is taking place while the Taliban leadership is in peace talks with the Afghan government and had given undertakings  to the Americans that they would drastically cut down violence against security forces.

It also comes after a sudden spurt of messages from the US president and his administration  about the withdrawal of US led international forces from the country which, Afghan officials claim, have emboldened the insurgency.