Pressure tactics: Taliban cut power supply to Faryab

MAIMANA (Pajhwok): Taliban militants have cut electricity supply to the capital and four districts of northwestern Faryab province, depriving 57,000 families of the facility.

Qari Wakil, Taliban chief for Khwaja Sabzposh district, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had cut power supply to Maimana, the provincial capital, and Pashtunkot, Khwaja Sabzposh, Sherin Tagab and Dawlatabad districts.

He said the electricity would remain off until ‘three residents’ of the area were released by the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

About one and a half month back, Haji Amin, a Taliban commander, snatched three security personnel including a public order policeman, an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier and a traffic officer from a passenger bus on the Faryab highway. The Taliban killed the ANA officer but the policeman and traffic sergeant are still in their captivity.

Afghan forces then detained three suspected Taliban -- relatives of Haji Amin. Last Monday, the fighters blocked the highway for pressing the government to release the three suspects.

Power utility officials in Faryab confirmed that Taliban cut electricity supply to the mentioned areas in Khwaja Sabzposh district at around 12pm.

Ahmad Javed Baidar, the governor’s spokesman, said the three suspects were members of the Taliban movement and the government would never accept any deal. “The road would be reopened and the militants defeated.”

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded on both sides of the Maimana-Jawzjan highway after the Taliban blocked it for traffic.

mds/mud