Taliban Unprecedentedly Step Up Attacks in Key Provinces of Afghanistan

The armed Taliban group has step up attacks in Kunduz, Baghlan, Farah and Helmand provinces, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said.

MoI says the Afghan security forces have witnessed heavy and difficult clashes in the battlefields.

“Kunduz, Baghlan and Helmand were the main provinces that the armed Taliban group has focused more and the priorities of security forces were thwarting these attacks,” said Najibullah Danish, deputy spokesman of MoI.

According to MoI, the Taliban group is trying to use all efforts and forces to disturb the overall security of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a number of parliament representatives considered the reason for the recent insecurities the negligence of government officials.

“Farah is on the brink, so serious efforts should be done for suppressing the Taliban group,” said Muhammad Sarwar Osmani, representative of Farah.

Previously, a US official, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said about Taliban attacks that in southern parts of Afghanistan’s provinces, particularly Helmand violence is up more than 60 percent.

Afghanistan now seems to be experiencing “a classic insurgency” that requires a well-coordinated counter-insurgency strategy that touches upon military, diplomatic, political and economic realms, Mullen said.

Afghan soldiers are taking the lead in more and more anti-insurgent operations, Mullen said. However, there’s been less success with the Afghan National Police, he acknowledged, as that force suffers from training deficiencies and corruption.

Training police forces is a skill that not too many countries do well, Mullen explained, and he said there’s a long way to go get Afghanistan’s police up on their feet.

This comes as numerous soldiers said the lack of coordination between security forces was the main reason for districts falling to the Taliban.

According to them, they have been fighting Taliban for days – with no coordination among themselves.

The soldiers blasted government for not providing them with enough ammunition and food and said the lack of coordination among the different security branches was the reason for the growing problem.