the word "uptick"
The last couple of weeks, there’s been an uptick with the Taliban trying to make a statement as they close out the fighting season.
What is "uptick with the Taliban“? And what is "as they close out the fighting season"?

Question

Answer

"Uptick" means "an increase", typically a fairly small one. It comes from a term used in the stock market, meaning a stock whose price just increased.

"As they close out" means "as they do their final actions before" This should mean the actions they take before winter.