Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, told reporters in December last year that the Taliban “receive much of their funding from the narcotics trafficking that occurs out of Helmand,” adding that “there’s a nexus here between the insurgency and criminal networks that’s occurring in Helmand that makes Helmand such a difficult fight.”

US Central Command has announced that approximately 300 Marines will deploy to Helmand this spring, returning to the scene of some of the fiercest battles in America’s 15-year-long engagement there. With U.S. President Donald Trump yet to announce a new Afghanistan strategy, the loss of Sangin underlines the scale of the challenge facing the western-backed government and its international partners, which left Afghan forces fighting largely alone after withdrawing most combat troops in 2014. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said Taliban fighters had captured police headquarters and a military base overnight, as well as quantities of military equipment after they were abandoned by retreating government forces. Afghan security forces were now amassing nearby for a full-scale counter-attack in a bid to retake Sangin, Rasoul added, though he did not say when the assault would occur and how many forces would be involved.
Taliban insurgents seize control of the strategic town of Sangin in the southern Helmand Province after a year-long battle with Afghan security forces.