MoD: Neighboring countries involve in Taliban’s raid on Ghazni

Afghanistan Ministry of Defense says that the neighboring countries involve in organizing Taliban attack on Ghazni province on Sunday night.

The allegation may put a strain on the delicate relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s unity government.

Deputy spokesman of the defense ministry says that terrorists in support of neighboring countries try to change Afghanistan into a large terrorism base.

Pakistan has always been accused of supporting terrorism by Afghan authorities.

Hundreds of Taliban fighters who replaced on the outskirts of Ghazni on Sunday night and aimed to raid the city were dismantled by Afghan security forces.

According to officials, the armed Taliban group planned to explode a truck bomb inside Ghazni city and begin to their offensive. But the truck bomb went off outside the city in Kabul-Kandahar highway.

“Terrorists are attempting to change Afghanistan into a terrorism base to threaten the region and the world,” Dawlat Waziri, deputy spokesman of defense ministry said.

Meanwhile, the ministry of interior affairs also says that Afghan security forces operation is seriously ongoing for wiping out Taliban from Ghazni.

“We won’t allow Taliban to harm our Afghan people or take initiative in the province,” Sidiq Sidiqi, spokesman of interior ministry said.

However, Afghan analysts strongly criticized the leadership of security institutions. They are pointing out that Pakistan with mobilizing Taliban seek to carry out widespread attacks in various parts of Afghanistan.

“We have to be wake up, this is a guerilla war. Afghan security forces must take more preparations to destroy Taliban group,” Atiqullah Amar Khail, military analyst said.

This comes as local officials in Ghazni said that clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban are still underway and in Taliban’s raid nearly 10 civilians including women were killed.

Afghan-Pakistani relations had improved in recent months following years of mistrust, during which each country accused the other of supporting militants operating along their porous border.

Previously, Pakistan Inter-Service Intelligence ISI and the Afghan intelligence agency— National Directorate of Security (NDS)— signed a landmark deal aimed at bolstering the fight against terrorism.