Taliban overrun key parts of Maidan-e Wardak

Hundreds of Taliban fighters have carried out an early-morning raid on the city Maidan-e Wardak in Afghanistan, entering key areas from several directions.

Inhabitants say that the Taliban fighters have entered to the public road and clashes are ongoing between the Afghan security forces and the armed Taliban in two areas; Pul-e Surkh and Sayeed Abad.

Provincial spokesman of Maidan-e Wardak, Ataullah Khogeyani noted that the terrorists planned to block Kabul-Bamyan and Kabul-Ghazni highways but security forces have thwarted their plans.

Khogeyani further added that the Taliban group have fired three rockets into the city and fortunately did not result any causalities.

Meanwhile, several police stations have come under Taliban attack late Wednesday night in Ghazni province.

Deputy Governor of Ghazni, Muhammad Ali Ahmadi says that the Taliban fighters have attacked three areas of Ghazni which are Isfandi, Nanay and Shahbaz areas.

Ahmadi declared that Taliban’s attack has been thwarted by Afghan forces and they have suffered heavy causalities but the exact number is unclear.

Taliban had not yet commented regarding the incident so far.

The attack comes two days after Taliban forces are reported to have captured Char Dara district of northern Kundoz province.

The Taliban have been waging an armed struggle since a US-led invasion ousted them from power in late 2001, and have stepped up attacks during a summer offensive launched in late April against the Western-backed government in Kabul.

The Taliban regrouped and began attacking Afghan security forces as US forces began their withdrawal.

Such incidents typically see a dramatic rise during the spring, when the Taliban renew their annual offensive, but there has been a notable increase in Taliban attacks on police and other security forces since a majority of NATO forces left Afghanistan in December 2014.

In the first 15 weeks of 2015, attacks on Afghan security forces rose 70 percent over the same period last year, according to Afghan officials.

Reported by Muhammad Zakaria