Afghan civilians form militias to fight Taliban as military desertion surges: Rome

"We are concerned about the Taliban offensive, taking over rural areas far from the provincial centers, as well as the growing number of desertions under the threat of the Taliban. Militia units are being formed to counter Taliban attacks," Di Maio told the parliament.

The top Italian diplomat suggested that the current dynamics were fragmenting the situation in Afghanistan, including the peace process.

Speaking about the withdrawal of the NATO military contingent from the South Asian country, Di Maio stressed that it "does not mean the end of international support for Afghanistan and the end of NATO's role in supporting the institutions that the alliance helped to grow."

"Italy has reaffirmed a financial commitment to the Afghan security forces, including the police. Our goal is to support civilian gains over the past 20 years and continue to support the Afghan people," the minister said.

Italy completely withdrew its troops from Afghanistan on June 30. In April, the United States announced that its contingent would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. NATO allies, including Italy, backed the initiative and started to pull their Afghan contingents out starting May 1.