Public support gathers momentum in favor of Afghan security forces

Calls by President Ashraf Ghani and other politicians for the public to rise up against the Taliban and support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) is gathering momentum as people raise their voices against the insurgent group.

Overnight, Herat residents took to the streets and to roof tops chanting slogans, including Allahu Akbar (God is Great) in support of the Afghan security forces.

In the wake of this a wide-spread social media campaign was launched Tuesday calling on Kabul residents to do the same.

Posts on social media, including Twitter and Facebook, have called on Kabul residents to also take to their rooftops and streets and chant words of encouragement to the Afghan troops. According to posts, this will start at 9pm.

Fawad Aman, a defense ministry spokesman, also took to Twitter to announce the plan. He said: “Tonight in Kabul; Everyone will chant “God is Great” in support of the Afghan Security Forces”.

Following the encouraging show of support for security forces in Herat on Monday night, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he sees the “resounding shout of the honorable people of Herat as a clear sign of the Afghan people’s disgust with the foreign imposed war in the country”.

Karzai also called on the Taliban to take this spontaneous movement of the people as a serious warning and to stop the war, killing and destroying the houses, villages and infrastructure of the Afghan people and to ensure peace in this ancient land. “Let our oppressed begin to live in peace with dignity.”