Kabul: More than 1,000 Afghan troops have fled to neighbouring Tajikistan after clashes with Taliban insurgents.
The incident comes amid reports that dozens of districts in northern Afghanistan are under Taliban control.
This is the first major challenge facing the Afghan army since the United States announced on Friday that it would withdraw its troops from the Bagram base.
Tajikistan's National Security Council says 1,037 Afghan soldiers have entered the area overnight to save their lives after clashes with the Taliban.
A statement from Tajikistan said the Afghan army had been allowed to enter its territory without interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs, keeping in mind the principle of good neighbourliness. Afghan forces had earlier fled across the Taliban-controlled border to Tajikistan in a similar clash.
According to Kabul-based analyst Atta Nouri, the incident has demoralized the Afghan army. "They are confused in almost all the districts occupied by the Taliban. They send teams to talk to the soldiers and surrender," he said.
Analysts say it is a crisis for the Afghan government. Taliban insurgents have also stepped up attacks as the United States seeks to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan two decades later.
In the United States, Joe Biden pledged to withdraw all troops by September 11 after being elected president. In early May, the United States began withdrawing the remaining 2,500 troops.
However, some analysts say US troops should not be withdrawn as Afghan peace talks fail and the Taliban's influence grows.
