Taliban active in 70% of Afghanistan districts – study

The Taliban are openly active in 70 percent of Afghanistan’s districts, fully controlling 4 percent of the country, according to a BBC study published on Tuesday. The group is also demonstrating an open physical presence in another 66 percent of the territory, according to the BBC estimate. It was based on conversations with more than 1,200 individual sources in all districts of the country, and is significantly higher than the most recent assessment by the NATO-led coalition. The Pentagon did not comment directly, but pointed to the latest figures by the NATO-led coalition asserting that about 56 percent of Afghanistan’s territory was under Afghan government control or influence, Reuters reports.