Afghan forces plan counteroffensive in northern provinces: Mohib

Government forces plan a counteroffensive in Afghanistan’s northern provinces after losing ground to the Taliban, Russia’s RIA news agency quoted adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying on Monday.

National security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, who was in Moscow on Monday for talks with senior security officials, told RIA in an interview that government forces had not expected the Taliban offensive but would “absolutely, definitely” counterattack.

Russia operates a military base in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic bordering Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Russia’s foreign ministry said separately on Monday that the Russian consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan was suspending its work because of security concerns, TASS news agency reported.

This comes after Turkey, Pakistan and Iran all closed their consulate doors in Mazar over the weekend.