Afghanistan and U.S. troops claim to have killed at least 38 Taliban fighters
On Sunday, Afghan forces with the help of the U.S. said that they killed 38 Taliban fighters — including two senior commanders. Fighting has ramped up since President Trump declared peace talks dead, though the Taliban says "lines of communication are still open."
CBS News met Afghan Defense Minister Asadullah Khalid in Kabul, who said the U.S. and Afghanistan are taking the fight to the Taliban.
The Taliban said it's still open to dialogue with the U.S. Until then, it's war with an intensity one general described as "unprecedented."
Khalid is the point man for U.S. General Scott Miller, the commander of the American-led mission and its 14,000 U.S. troops. Together they have pursued a dual strategy of killing as many Taliban fighters as possible, while launching special forces raids aimed at dismantling ISIS and al Qaeda terror networks.
The defense minister told CBS News that Afghan troops are now at the forefront of around 90% of the offensives and operations taking place around the country.
"In most of the operation now, Afghan force are doing this operation independently," Khalid said.
And while they are paying a heavy price, he said this year — for the first time — the Taliban is losing more fighters than the Afghan military.