As Taliban advances, Afghan military overhauls war strategy

The Taliban's swift territorial gains are rattling Afghans just as the United States withdraws from a war that succeeded in punishing al Qaeda following its September 11, 2001 attacks but failed to deliver anything close to peace for Afghanistan.

Reeling from a surge in battlefield losses, Afghanistan's military is overhauling its war strategy against the Taliban to concentrate forces around the most critical areas like Kabul and other cities, border crossings and vital infrastructure, Afghan and US officials say.