army to reinforce and resupply security force units who are essentially cut off by the Taliban's advance. The Afghan government has resorted to airdropping in supplies to its forces trapped inside of Sangin.

Helmand abuts the Pakistani border, which makes it easy for the Taliban to resupply from its strongholds in Pakistan and maintain a steady stream of fighters. "Helmand has an open border and the terrorists continue their war supported by their sponsors in Afghanistan's neighborhood," Masoum Stanikzai, the acting defense minister, explained at a Kabul news conference Wednesday.

The loss of Sangin would be embarrassing for Western powers backing the Kabul government, since both the US and the UK have spent much blood and treasure trying to secure it in the past. Almost a quarter of UK casualtiesin Afghanistan took place fighting the Taliban in Sangin. And the US spent over $65 billion training the Afghan security forces so that western troops could take a backseat in the fighting.

Since 2014, the US and UK have pulled back their troops from the front lines, letting Afghan forces stand alone. But even with billions of dollars in aid, Afghan security forces still struggle to match the Taliban and hold on to Sangin, which is a small town with under 20,000 people. The military has also been plagued by mass desertions, a lack of supplies, and leadership confusion, as Afghan forces are often left in far-flung regions of the country without reinforcements or supplies.

This week NATO military advisers have been sent to Helmand, but no foreign troops will