Another Mullah Bites the Dust

The government of Afghanistan, aided by American troops, has scored a dramatic series of successes against Taliban rebels in recent days. Earlier today it was announced that Mullah Abdul Razzaq Nafees, a close aide to Mullah Omar and a member of the 10-man council that governs the Taliban, was one of those killed in a clash with government troops ten days ago. This follows hard on the heels of the Taliban’s admission that Mullah Abdur Rahim, its top military commander in southern Afghanistan, had been killed.
It is striking how little damage the Taliban has been able to do since it was overthrown, and when that organization’s top leaders are killed in firefights, it suggests that they don’t have many foot soldiers left.