By: Raiszada
Following surge in Taliban attacks and falling of districts and a number of provincial capitals to the group in recent days, Pentagon by expressing concern over deterioration of security condition in Afghanistan says Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have the capability to fight Taliban.
John Kirby, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, told reporters in Washington that US was concerning over security situation in Afghanistan, stressing that the Afghan Defense and Security Forces had the capability to fight Taliban.
Pointing to falling a number of Afghan provincial capital to the Taliban, Kirby said the Afghan defense and security forces were responsible for defending the Afghan cities and their people and they should show strong determination to address the crisis.
According to US officials, Afghan special operations forces have been able to hold off the Taliban in key centers including Kandahar and Lashkar Gah, but in locations where the commandos have not been sent in, regular Army forces have been overrun.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan ministry of defense says Afghan National Defense and Security Forces particularly the special operations forces have overall capabilities to target terrorists at anywhere in the country, but it shows serious concern over presence of thousands of foreign terrorist fighters in the country.
A spokesperson to the ministry of defense Rohullah Ahmadzai said terrorists who have sent to Afghanistan have been unprecedented.
“Hundreds of religious madrasas and seminaries have been recently closed and thousands of Taliban have been sent to Afghanistan to fight against Afghan security forces and Afghan people in Afghanistan,” Ahmadzai said, adding that Pakistan army officers and personnel have been active recently to fight shoulder to shoulder with Taliban against the Afghan people and security forces.
Afghan military experts say the country’s ongoing fighting has its own depth as all efforts and sacrifices of the Afghan defense and security forces are sometimes ignored when something minor happens.
“Recruitment and training of the Afghan defense and security forces should be standardized as current trainings they are receiving are not constructive and effective for current fighting. It is good that all Afghan defense and security forces should be trained in accordance to present time,” said Hadi Khalid, former deputy minister of interior.
He added that Afghan defense and security organs should have further coordination in fighting against the Taliban group as close coordination can be effective in battlefield and can prevent from further casualties, stressing that the country’s political leaders should have consensus towards peace and war and be committed to fighting and defending the country. Atiqullah Amarkhil, another Afghan military expert, says Afghan National Defense and Security Forces have overall capabilities to independently fight the country’s enemies as they have been trained and equipped during the past 20 years. “Maintaining security and fighting Taliban and Daesh causing bloodshed of innocent civilians is the responsibility of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and this responsibility should be fulfilled with full precision,” Amarkhil said.
He added if the country’s defense and security forces were led in a better way, they could defend the country and people without any support from foreign countries.
Current security situation in Afghanistan have made a number of Afghans to convince the international community through social media to exert pressure on Pakistan to stop funding and providing safe havens for Taliban. The campaign ‘Sanction on Pakistan’ has been launched for the past three days during which Afghans are asking the international community particularly the United Nations to sanction on Pakistan as the country is supporting and interfering in internal affairs of Afghanistan.
This comes amid surge in Taliban attacks and falling a number of provincial capitals to the hand of Taliban. Afghan defense and security forces organs have said they will soon start large-scale offensive attacks on the Taliban to take the control of the fallen provincial capitals from the Taliban group.
