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Taliban Staged Attacks in 20 Provinces in Past Two Weeks: Reports
[ToloNews] The Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men...initiated attacks in 20 provinces over the past two weeks, according to local officials in various provinces. In the latest incidents, the Taliban launched attacks on Afghan cops in Maiwand district of Kandahar and Imam Sahib district of Kunduz, killing at least six members of the Afghan cops. 10 other security personnel were maimed. "The Taliban launched attacks on Kalbad, Imam Sahib, Chardara and Dasht-e-Archi districts, they have also launched their offensive operations on the center of Kunduz," said Ghulam Rabbani Rabbani, a member of Kunduz's provincial council. This comes two days after a suicide boom-mobile explosion and ensuing shootout, claimed by the Taliban, occurred on Monday morning in front of the National Directorate of Security ...the Afghan national intel agency... (NDS) compound in Aybak city, the center of the northern Afghan province of Samangan, and ended with three attackers and at least 11 other people killed. Over the past two weeks, the Taliban also staged attacks in various areas of Kunduz province and the suburbs of Pul-e-Khumri, the center of Baghlan province. Taliban attacks were also reported in Raghistan, Yaftal Bala and Kohistan ...a backwoods district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa distinguished by being even more rustic than is the norm among the local Pashtuns.... districts of Badakhshan province. "Yaftal Bala, which is a major zone in Faizabad, has witnessed some fighting," said Abdullah Naji Nazari, a member of Badakhshan's provincial council. Attacks were also reported on Sayedabad, Jalrez and Nirkh districts of Maidan Wardak province. "The Taliban make frequent attacks on checkpoints," said Sharifullah Hotak, a member of Maidan Wardak's provincial council. Last week the Taliban launched attacks on the suburbs of Trinkot city, the capital of Uruzgan province in the south. Attacks also were launched on Moqur, Khawja Omari and Deh Yak districts of Ghazni. Based on the US-Taliban peace agreement signed in late February, the Taliban pledged to avoid launching attacks on the thriving provincial capitals and highways. "The peace agreement, which was signed between the Taliban and the US, has been violated so far," said Nazeefa Yousuf Bek, a member of the Afghan parliament. MASSIVE HUMAN CASUALTIES: The Afghan security agencies data seen by TOLOnews shows that 2,685 non-combatants were killed or maimed in five months--from Jan. 21 to June 20--but the figures do not differentiate between those who bit the dust and those who were maimed. The data is from one month ahead of the Feb. 28 peace deal between the US and the Taliban and four months afterward. It shows that civilian casualties have increased after the signing of the peace deal compared to one month ahead of the agreement. The data indicates that 351 non-combatants were killed or maimed between Jan. 21 and Feb. 19, but the casualties increased to 553 between Feb. 20 to March 19. A report by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) shows that 1,213 non-combatants were killed and 1,740 civilians were maimed in the first six months of this year--an 11% reduction from the same period in 2019. The reduction comes amid increasing peace efforts by the Afghan government and its allies, but critics say violence is still high--especially by the Taliban--which is a key element of the grinding of the peace processor. Posted by: trailing wife 2020-07-16 |
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