March 4, 2021: The government estimates that the Taliban have 30,000 paid gunmen in action plus thousands of armed civilians who are compelled (under threat of attack on families) to participate in some combat operations. The government claims they kill twice as many enemy fighters (mostly Taliban) than security forces lose each year. Taliban losses have increased more sharply (more than doubling) since 2014 than those of the security forces, which have increased nearly 50 percent. The government believes it can negotiate from a position of strength with the Taliban, who seem to think getting all foreign troops out of the country by the May 1