ABSTRACT
Although the Taliban insurgency was internally divided and unable to coordinate its activities effectively in 2014–2017, the Afghan security forces were not able to contain it and steadily lost ground throughout 2015–2017. Until 2015, there had been little effort to develop an indigenous Afghan counter-insurgency strategy, but a sense of urgency emerged after a string of Taliban victories. During 2017, a more coherent approach prioritizing internal reform (anti-corruption), the defense of cities and highways, tactical offensive operations by special forces and reliance on militias to challenge Taliban control over rural areas was emerging from the political leadership, even if without widespread consensus within the ranks.
