Afghan forces plan counteroffensive in northern provinces - report

Afghan Commandos arrive to reinforce the security forces in Faizabad the capital of Badakhshan province, after Taliban captured neighborhood districts of Badakhshan recently, July 4, 2021. Afghanistan Ministry of Defence//Handout via REUTERS

Afghanistan government forces plan a counteroffensive in the country's northern provinces after losing ground to the Taliban, Russia's RIA news agency cited an adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying on Monday.

National security adviser Hamdullah Mohib told RIA in an interview that government forces had not expected the Taliban offensive but would "absolutely, definitely" counterattack.

(Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Alex Richardson)