The Taliban has gained even more control over parts of Afghanistan in the past three years.
That's according to the U.S.' Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction's quarterly report for Congress released on Tuesday.
The watchdog group says, as of July, the Afghan government only controlled about 55.5 percent of its districts. That's down from November 2015, when the government controlled 72 percent. It's the lowest level the group has seen since it started tracking the data three years ago.
The Afghan government's loss of control has been gradual, and the watchdog group has frequently blamed a weakening Afghan security force. In the newest report, the group said Afghan troops had "made minimal or no progress in pressuring the Taliban."
The report does say direct Taliban control has actually gone down slightly. But there is a growing number of areas where the Taliban is contesting the government's control, with neither group now fully in charge.
This years-long conflict in Afghanistan has also led to losses of civilian lives. Last month, the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said civilians were experiencing "extreme levels of harm" from the armed conflict in their country. It said more than 2,700 civilians died between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 this year.
