(Xinhua) -- While Taliban militants have been strengthening their grip over several districts in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan government is hopeful to restore stability there this year, a military official said Saturday. "We have decided to stabilize security in Helmand province this year," Defense Ministry spokesman Zahir Azimi told newsmen here.
He made this remark amid ongoing conflicts between militants and the NATO-backed Afghan troops in the militancy-hit and poppy growing province bordering Pakistan. Since Thursday, 69 militants and seven personnel of Afghan security forces were killed in clashes in Gereshk district of the province. "The troops are better equipped and have the ability to evict enemies and establish government sovereignty in 24 hours but we want to avoid damaging civilians," he added.
To achieve the goal, he said the government wants to pursue negotiation through tribal elders and to convince insurgents to vacate the area. To evict militants and restore government's authority across the province, NATO and Afghan forces launched a major offensive in the north of Helmand early this month. Taliban commanders claimed 10,000 fighters including 2,000 suicide bombers were ready to target Afghan and foreign troops based in Afghanistan this year when the weather gets warm. Militancy and conflicts have claimed the lives of more than 500 people this year in Afghanistan. |