Taliban offensive planned by foreigners

KABUL’s summer offensive, killing more than 2,000 policemen and 850 civilians.

Codenamed Khalid Bin Walid, the offensive was launched in May when the rebels had vowed to target security forces, government officials and diplomatic missions. The insurgents insist they have achieved their goals. 

Afghan security personnel and hundreds of civilians were killed in Taliban attacks, acknowledged Lt. Gen. Mohammad Salim Ihsas, police affairs chief at the interior ministry.

The militants conducted more than 6,600, he said, adding the offensive included 1,700 direct and indirect attacks, 50 suicide bombings, 2,000 gun assaults, 1,180 blasts and 9,000 ambushes in 30 provinces.

More than 1,270 Afghan National Police and 770 Afghan Local Police personnel, as well as 850 civilians were killed and over 2,700 policemen and 2,000 civilian wounded, he told a conference on coordination among government spokespersons.

The offensive had largely been focused on Logar, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Kabul, Paktika, Faryab, Farah, Helmand, Zabul and Badakhshan provinces, Gen. Ihsas continued.

In order to eliminate the Taliban threat, the Afghan security personnel conducted more than 4,500 independent operations during the current year. At least 2,160 fighters were killed, 500 wounded and 2,000 detained, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi said the Khalid Bin Walid offensive was planned by foreign intelligence agencies and executed by “domestic elements”.

Without naming the foreign spy services, he called 2013 an important year that saw security transition from foreign troops to Afghan forces that had since proved their capability and prowess.

mrh/mud