Patan Strategic ‘Route’ for Equipping Taliban

The Taliban militants simply import their military equipment from Pakistan through the “De Enzerkay kandaw” valley in Patan district of Paktia province, said Afghan security forces stationed in the province.

The gorgeous valley of Paktia which is located near the Durand Line has been given too many opportunities to the insurgent groups to receive military equipment and deteriorate the security situation in the south east parts and Kabul. The valley is also a safe way for smugglers and drug mafias.

“When the insurgents can receive equipment in Logar, Khost and Ghazni, it would also affect the security of Kabul. The other thing is that the militants transfer their injured and deaths through this valley to Pakistan,” said Shamim Katwazay, the governor of Paktia province.

Beside the Zarqawi and Sahaba networks, the Haqqani network is the biggest group of the armed opposition groups in Paktia. Nearly 80 percent of the terrorist attacks are being organized by this network in the country.

The Afghan military forces’ concerns in the south east zones are that the insurgent groups are trying to transfer their military bases to Afghanistan from the other side of the Durand Line.

Chief of 203 Thunder Corps, Atiqullah Tora Khail in an interview with Ariananews said, “These areas are very important than Tora Bora. Taliban seek to transfer their training centers to here.”

Though Afghan security forces began operations in the Enzerkay valley three months ago and created checkpoints but the increase of Taliban’s attacks in other parts of Paktia reduced its effectiveness.