Afghanistan Veterans Retreat Through Tajikistan Following Fighting Amidst Fighters In Areas They Control.

More than 1,000 Afghan soldiers flee fled to neighboring Tajikistan after clashes with Taliban insurgents, officials said. Troops withdrew across the border to "save their own lives," said a statement by Tajik border guards. Violence has escalated in Afghanistan, with the Taliban launching attacks in recent weeks and conquering more territory.

The upgrade coincides with the end of 20 years of NATO's military mission in the country. Most of the remaining foreign troops in Afghanistan had withdrawn before the September deadline, and there were fears that the Afghan army would collapse.

Under the deal with the Taliban, the United States and its NATO allies have agreed to withdraw all troops if insurgents promise not to allow al-Qaeda or other extremist groups to operate in areas they control.

This is a worrying time for the Afghan people, says Liz Dusset, the BBC's chief international correspondent. The Taliban, accused of numerous human rights and cultural abuses, support Islamic punishments - such as the public execution of convicted killers - and TV, music, and cinema bans and disapproval of girls over the age of 10.

"They are unsure of where their country is going, unsure of their village or town, and unsure of their own lives and the future of their families," he said. However, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani insists that the country's security forces fully hold back the insurgents. Still, there are also reports of more soldiers seeking refuge in Pakistan and Uzbekistan to avoid fighting.

This is the third case of Afghan soldiers fleeing Tajikistan in the past three days and the fifth in the past two weeks. The total number of troops withdrawn to Tajikistan is nearly 1,600. The youngest group of Afghan soldiers sought refuge early Monday after fighting against insurgents at night, according to state news agency Tajik Khovar.