Mansour’s death splits Taliban, claim Afghan officials

KABUL Akhtar Mohammad Mansour.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Tawab Ghorzang told a press conference here that the Afghan government was closely monitoring recent changes in the insurgency and would benefit from them for peace.

“If Taliban and other militants don’t shun violence, they should meet the fate of their leaders,” he said, adding Afghan security and defence forces would continue fighting those hell-bent on unleashing violence against the people and the government of Afghanistan.

He said after the death of Mansour, differences had emerged in the Taliban. Ghorzang also welcomed the US decision to blacklist two Pakistan-based militant groups, saying the Afghan government believed in joint fight and sustainable US commitment regarding counter terrorism struggle and the US had proved its cooperation with Afghanistan in this regard.

He said the Afghan government had asked the US to include the two Pakistan-based groups in its black list for committing terrorist and disruptive activities.

He said security forces had been ordered to deal with individuals spreading anti-Afghanistan propaganda in accordance with the law.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) on Tuesday arrested a political analyst after he called the slain Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, as a martyr.

Ghorzang was optimistic about the peace talks with the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), saying the draft peace agreement would be signed soon.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Defence spokesman said Afghan security forces supported the government’s clear policy on peace and war.

“Those who continue violence, war, killings and destruction of the country, the Afghan security forces would take any type of measures against them,” he said.

Dawlat Waziri said 2016 is the year of militants’ defeat in all fields of the war and the Afghan security personnel were successfully conducting their operations.

Interior Ministry spokesmen Sediq Seddiqi said the Taliban had been divided into different groups after the death of Mansour and their morale had weakened.

He said unconfirmed reports showed many Taliban fighters had decided to quit war and surrender to the government. He said apart from pursuing peace talks, Afghan forces would continue suppressing militants.

Late on Saturday, Taliban supreme commander, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, was killed a US drone strike in Dalbandin area of pakistan’s Balochistan province near the Durand Line.

myn/ma