Scores killed as Afghan Taliban launch spring offensive

KABUL: Scores of people including militants and security personnel have been killed as the Taliban outfit launched its so-called spring offensive on Wednesday and since then militancy and counter-militancy have gotten momentum in the militancy-plagued Afghanistan.

Immediately after announcing the yearly spring offensive, the hardliner group attacked government interests in parts of the country triggering gun battles and eventually leaving several deaths and injured.

Code-named as “al-Khandaq” operations, Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a statement sent to media outlets on Wednesday, described the aim of the offensive as intensifying Jihad or holy war against “foreign occupying force”, a reference to the presence of U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan.

“Both our land and air space are under the control of foreign occupying forces and our religious sanctities as well as helpless people are indiscriminately being targeted,” the Taliban statement said, vowing to continue Jihad until the foreign forces pulled out of the country.

In the latest waves of violent offensives, the Taliban fighters attacked checkpoints of Afghan forces in Dasht-e-Archi district of the northern Kunduz province early Thursday, killing eight soldiers and injuring five others, district governor Nasrudin Nazari Saadi has confirmed.

Similarly the armed opposition group launched multi-pronged attacks against security entities in Yangi Qala district of Takhar province and Khalazai area of Baghlan province early Thursday and reportedly over two dozen people had been killed from both sides.

However, in a counter-offensive, the government forces have targeted Taliban positions in Charbolak district of the northern Balkh province since early Thursday, killing 24 insurgents and injuring 36 others, army spokesman in the province Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.

Downplaying the Taliban annual spring offensive as “mere propaganda war” Rezai asserted that the government forces would foil all vicious designs of the militant group.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Majahid has confirmed the clashes, claiming the militants have inflicted huge casualties on security personnel and expanded their grips.

Afghan observers believe that the current year would be more violent than 2017 as both the government and militants would do their best to consolidate their positions and enter the expected peace dialogue from strong position.