Insurgent morale low, ISAF says

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The morale of militants fighting coalition and Afghan forces is dropping as more troops conduct counterinsurgency operations, a military spokesman said.

German Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, said militants in Afghanistan are growing weary of the prolonged fight.

"While the coalition strength and capability of the (Afghan forces) are on the rise, we are seeing evidence of low insurgent morale, which is affecting their capability across the country," he was quoted by the U.S. Defense Department as saying.

ISAF said international and Afghan forces have killed or captured more than 365 militant commanders and another 2,300 fighters in 2,800 operations carried out in the last 90 days.

The increase in the number of troops committed to Afghanistan, meanwhile, translated to an 83 percent rise in the number of operations carried out in July compared with last year, Blotz added.

Blotz said that as international and Afghan forces are able to claim greater success on the battlefield, Afghan citizens will feel more confident in national development.

"As this happens, the insurgency will continue to weaken and low-level fighters will abandon their losing cause," he said.

Afghanistan is gearing up for parliamentary elections in September. U.N. officials worry that security, however, could be the ultimate spoiler in the political process under way in the country.