Taliban booby-trap Ghazni roads: Governor

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok):  The Taliban-Kandahar highway and a number other roads in southern Ghazni province, the governor alleged on Thursday.

Musa Khan Akbarzada told Pajhwok Afghan News the insurgents had planted bombs on roads in Gilan, Maqur, Andar, Giru and highways leading to Ghazni City.

The governor said the insurgents had no courage to enter a face-to-face fight with security forces and were thus planting roadside bombs to continue their war.

He said the explosives planted on roads often caused casualties among civilians, mostly on roads. Five large jerry canes filled with explosives were destroyed by security forces in the Gilan district a day earlier.

He said the Taliban had planted landmines on the Kabul-Kandahar road in the Asfandi area despite the fact hundreds of civilian vehicles traversed the route.

A resident of the Shinkai area of the Gilan town, Roohullah, said militants had planted dozens of mines on highways in the area. He said three civilians were injured in a blast caused by a roadside bomb on Wednesday.

While, Abdullah, a resident of the Andar district, confirmed insurgents had emplaced landmines on all highways. He said the rebels had asked people to avoid travelling on the roads and stay indoors.

No Taliban spokesman was immediately available for comments.

ma/mud