Afghan forces anticipate possible Taliban attacks on major cities

There is also a criticism of how the administration has handled security in the country….reports Asian Lite News

Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) on Sunday expressed that annihilating the Taliban is their top priority. The commander of Special Operations Corps, Maj. Gen. Hibatullah Alizai said that “strong belts” have been created for the protection of big cities, highways and border towns.

Pakistani terrorists are also involved in recent Taliban attacks, these terrorists are majorly from Pakistan’s Punjab and hundreds of these terrorists have been killed by ANDSF, TOLO News reported citing Maj Gen Hibatullah Alizai.

“Our main goal is to inflict as many casualties on the enemy as possible. Besides that, our goal is to protect major cities, highways and key border towns that are important for our major cities and the country,” Alizai said

Alizai, who returned after operations in Ghazni and Laghman on Saturday evening, said that foreign Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have a presence among the Taliban.

Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Chahar Dara district of Kunduz province, Afghanistan, Jan. 16, 2018. The Kunduz province, as well as neighboring Baghlan and Takhar provinces, have been the hotbeds of heavy clashes over the past couple of months as Taliban has been trying to attack the government forces in the once relatively peaceful region. (Xinhua/Ajmal Kakar/IANS)

“Pakistani Taliban is mostly seen these days and those Taliban terrorists who belong to Punjab even have Pakistani arm ID cards. The number of Afghan Taliban is dwindling,” he added.

Alizai also said that political, regional and social issues are behind the evacuation of dozens of districts by Afghan forces and the issue will be investigated.

Afghan forces also expressed the need to retake the districts that have fallen to the Taliban, at least 10,000 members of commando forces are engaged in suppressing the Taliban across the country and that their number will increase over time.

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There is also a criticism of how the administration has handled security in the country.

On Sunday, a magnetic improvised explosive device (IED) blast claimed two lives in Afghanistan’s Kandahar on Sunday, including the secretary of Kandahar’s governor. Local sources confirmed that the blast occurred in a parking area in the governor’s compound.

The blast took place on Sunday afternoon in Kandahar city as Mansour Ahmad, the secretary of Kandahar’s governor, entered the parking area in his vehicle, the sources informed TOLO News.

“Mansour and a security guard were killed in the blast and another security guard was wounded,” said the sources.

However, no group including the Taliban has immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, reported TOLO News.

Afghan security force members are seen at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan

Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan defence and security forces. This comes as foreign forces are withdrawing from the war-torn country.

Earlier, at least three civilians and 24 Taliban terrorists were killed in two eastern Afghan provinces as fighting intensify in the war-torn country.

In Laghman province, nine terrorists were killed and 17 wounded after Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) targeted their position in the Alishing district Saturday night.

On Saturday afternoon, three civilians were killed and 30 others wounded during fierce battles between Taliban and the security forces in Omarzai, a locality near Mehtarlam, capital of Laghman, according to the director of provincial hospital Abdul Maruf.

Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan defence and security forces. This comes as foreign forces have withdrawn from the war-torn country.

As the Taliban have taken control of several districts across the country, US intelligence assessments have suggested the country’s civilian government could fall to the terror group within months of US forces withdrawing completely. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Clashes kill 3 civilians, 24 Taliban militants in Afghanistan

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