Taliban raids near Herat City worry residents

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Provincial Council (PC) members, civil society attacks in districts near the provincial capital.

They said Taliban attacks in Karokh and Ghorian districts close to Herat City demonstrated the rebels were closing in on entrances to Herat City.

Toryali Tahiri, deputy head of the PC, said from the past three days, the Taliban were waging attacks on the Karokh district building, 40 kilometres from Herat City.

The Taliban approached the Karokh district centre on Wednesday but security forces pushed them back.

He said Ghorian, Karokh and Pashton Zarghon districts close to Herat City witnessed heavy Taliban attacks in recent days.

Taheri said the situation in far-flung districts such as Shindand, Zerkoh, Kohzor, Zawal, Koshk Kuhna, Obe, Chesti Sharif and Gulran remained terrible over the years where Taliban frequently launched attacks.

The residents of Herat also expressed their concern over incidents of insecurity and said the Karokh district was a secure place and people used to go there for sightseeing but the Taliban made it insecure.

Syed Mobin, a resident of Herat City, said: “Growing Taliban attacks close to the provincial capital show the government is unaware of the sensitivity of the situation.”

Yar Mohammad, another resident, said: “If peace meant people’s sacrifices, we don’t want such a peace.”

Ashraf Sadaat, a civil society activist, also expressed concern over the growing Taliban attacks and said security forces were in defensive posture and the Taliban fully utilised this and staged their attacks.

Governor Spokesperson Jilani Farhad acknowledged Taliban attacks in districts close to the provincial capital and added these attacks were beaten back by security forces.

He said 10 Taliban were killed, seven injured and three arrested after their attacks in the Karokh district.

He added recent attacks by Taliban were an attempt to show themselves effective and influence peace talks for getting more privileges.

nh/ma