Taliban forces are in retreat in northern Afghanistan. But they have adopted a scorched earth policy, burning and destroying as much as they can as they fall back. This is the traditional total war, inflicting maximum damage on the enemy, making life harder for the civilian population from which the Northern Alliance draws its fighters. Many Northern Alliance troops will have to go home to rebuild, reducing the number of fighters available to fight the Taliban. Over 60,000 homeless refugees have been created by the Taliban summer offensive. This was the most notable result of the Taliban offensive, as the Northern Alliance took back most of the territory lost.
