WATCH: Afghanistan forces destroy Taliban hideouts in Kandahar airstrike

New Delhi, Aug 01: The Afghanistan Defense Forces destroyed the Taliban hideout in an airstrike carried out in the Zherai district of Kandahar province. Tens of terrorists were killed and wounded as result of the airstrike.

At least 250 such insurgents have been killed while nearly 100 were wounded in battles at several major cities over the past 24 hours, the government has said.

Southern Kandahar - the birthplace of the Taliban - as well as Helmand and Herat provinces have witnessed several attacks.

The war between the Taliban and Afghanistan's national security and defense forces has intensified over the past few months, as U.S. and NATO troops complete their pullout from the war-torn country. The Taliban are now trying to seize provincial capitals, after already taking smaller administrative districts in the past months.

The Taliban in recent days has swept across Afghanistan, pushing back the Afghan military and taking over significant swaths of territory as the U.S. nears the ends of its withdrawal.

Approximately 650 troops are set to remain in the country to secure the US diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, including the embassy, and to assist in securing Kabul's international airport, which is a necessary facility for the movement of diplomats.