The US has sent B-52 bombers and Spectre gunships to Afghanistan in a bid to stop Taliban insurgents who are marching towards three key cities,
Insider reports.
The B-52s are flying into Afghanistan from an airbase in Qatar, hitting targets around Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah in Helmand province, sources told The Times.
The move comes amid an increasingly dire situation in Afghanistan, as the Taliban continues to seize territory across the country as US-led forces withdraw.
The Pentagon estimates that the group now controls half of Afghanistan's 419 district centers.
On Friday, the Taliban seized Zaranj in Nimroz, making it the first provincial capital to be captured by the insurgents since they began their military campaign in May.
The Taliban also assassinated the government's chief media officer, Dawa Khan Menapal, on the same day in Kabul.
The deployment of American bombers and gunships also highlights how ailing Afghan forces remain reliant on US support.
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber, which can carry up to 32 tonnes of bombs.
The bombers first flew during the Cold War and played a key role in toppling the Taliban from power in late 2001, according to Arab News.
B-52 shave not been used in Afghanistan for nearly a year, according to The Times.