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Afghanistan

Taliban Claims Control Of Another Helmand District

2007-03-06

(AKI) - by Syed Saleem Shahzad
At least 19 Afghan civilians have been killed over the past 24 hours in strikes and gunfire incidents by coalition forces in Afghanistan in response to militant attacks on NATO targets. Although NATO has said it is trying to reduce civilian casualties, the attacks look set to continue as the "spring offensive" materialises. Taliban commander Abdul Khaliq told Adnkronos International (AKI) that they have taken control of Nawzad district in Helmand province and prior to the recent attacks the Taliban distributed leaflets warning people to keep away from NATO installations or convoys.

Taliban commander Abdul Khaliq said that with their recent seizure of the Nawzad district in the restive southern Afghan province of Helmand, their spring offensive had begun.

In an interview with AKI, Taliban commander Abdul Khaliq said that with their recent seizure of the Nawzad district in the restive southern Afghan province of Helmand, their spring offensive had begun. "There was a ceasefire in Nawzad district during the entire winter but we had taken control of all the villages and only the district headquarters was under the Karzai-backed administration, though it was also under siege by Taliban," Abdul Khaliq told AKI in a phone interview from Nawzad district. "Last Thursday, we just announced that we would break the ceasefire and walked in the headquarters without much of a fight," he said.

Over the weekend, the Afghan people were also warned by the militant group to be cautious and keep away from NATO installations. Pamphlets were distributed all over Kandahar city by the Taliban in which people were warned to stay cautious as the Taliban would not spare any single movement of NATO troops on Afghan roads.

We have acquired sophisticated weapons and now warn the people not to be within 100 meters on either side of any NATO installation or convoy because from now on everything will be immediate targets."

We have acquired sophisticated weapons and now warn the people not to be within 100 meters on either side of any NATO installation or convoy because from now on everything will be immediate targets," the pamphlet written in Pashto said.

After the warning, came the attacks. On Sunday, the young Taliban commander Qari Hazrat led an attack on the convoy of the British task force traveling between Sangin and Gereshk districts of Helmand, killing two British soldiers and wounding others. Also on Sunday, a suicide attacker targeted a US marines' convoy just outside the city of Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, and the soldiers reportedly opened fire on civilians killing at least 10 people. Hundreds of Afghan men took to the streets to protest the incident but sources said that the province has so far been calm. President Hamid Karzai said that coalition forces had opened fire on the civilians and ordered an investigation into the incident.

In another incident Afghan officials said that at least nine Afghan civilians were killed overnight in Kapisa province, north of Kabul, in a strike carried out by NATO in response to an attack on a base there.

Posted by:Fred

#3 Doesn't Helmands make mayonase? What does the Taliban want with mayonase? Spread it on their ham sammiches?

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-03-06 19:36

#2 We have acquired sophisticated weapons and now warn the people not to be within 100 meters on either side of any NATO installation or convoy because from now on everything will be immediate targets," the pamphlet written in Pashto said.

What you bet that pamphlet is one of them old T-54 ex-Soviet Kosomol Tri-Fold jobs. Hot-type I hear.

Posted by: Shipman 2007-03-06 16:49

#1 "warn the people not to be within 100 meters on either side of any NATO installation or convoy because from now on everything will be immediate targets,"

Thank for clearing our fields of fire for us.

Posted by: Steve 2007-03-06 08:54

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