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KABUL: The government downplays new spring offensive announced by Taliban as “mere propaganda”, saying that the militants would never their “vicious goals”.
The insurgents announced their spring offensive on Friday named al-Fath.
The defense ministry said in reaction that the militants try to give false morale to their fighters after shameful defeats from army in the district of Arghanjkhwah of Badakhshan, Sancharak in Sar-e-Pul, Moqor in Ghazni, Bala Morghab and Aab Kamari in Badghis province.
The ministry said in a statement that security forces enjoy high combat and weaponry capacities and re pioneers in the battlefields.
Taliban statement said that the militants try to prevent civilian casualties in clashes with government forces. The group is internationally accused of being responsible for civilian casualties.
The militants’ offensive is announced after government announced spring operations named ‘Khaled’, with security officials saying that the operation aimed to eliminate opposition’s sanctuaries and retake the areas under their control.
The two sides have been busy in clashes all the months of last year and the insurgents didn’t stop attacking security forces in the winter when they usually stop fighting because of cold.
Severe clashes are going on between Taliban and security forces in two districts of Badghis province, in the northwest bordering Turkmenistan. On Monday, a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car near a US military convoy in the Bagram district, killing three American soldiers and a civilian US citizen as a recent target of US troops.
“Taliban had earlier started their spring offensive by attacking districts in the provinces of Badghis, Faryab and Helmand, but did not unveil it. This is their political tactic when they announce the offensive to tell the people that government first started operations,” military analyst Atiqollah Amarkhil said.
