Afghanistan - Nine years into the war in Afghanistan, Commander of US and NATO forces General David Petraeus says the Taliban have spread their influence in the war-ravaged country.

Speaking in an interview with foreign media in Kabul on Tuesday, Gen. Petraeus said despite the rising number of casualties, foreign forces should take political as well as military action to wipe out the "industrial-strength insurgency."

"Levels of attacks have gone up and that's a manifestation of us increasing our resources substantially and taking away safe havens that the Taliban have been able to establish over the course of the last several years," Petraeus said.

"And when the enemy's safe havens are threatened they fight back," he added

Petraeus said that the Taliban have managed to spread their influence to areas which were formerly believed to be peaceful.

In separate remarks, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said while there is progress in Afghanistan, the security situation in the country is unsatisfactory.

Foreign troops and civilian death tolls have hit record levels in recent months.

US President Barack Obama has announced plans to start pulling out US troops from Afghanistan in July 2011.

A growing number of NATO member states are also setting target dates for withdrawing troops.

JR/CS/MMN

originally published in Press TV