Targeted killings, clashes worry Balkh residents

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Residents and civil society activists in northern Balkh province say insecurity and targeted killing cases have increased in the province over the last few weeks.

They say they are concerned about the targeted killings in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, and civilian casualties resulting from the conflict in districts, asking the government to control the situation.

Civil society activists in Balkh say that many people have been killed in targeted attacks in Mazar-i-Sharif in the past three weeks, including a World Food Program (WFP) worker, chief physician of Shaheen Military Corps and police trainer of Marmul district of the province.

The Balkh residents say that in the past one month, about 50 Afghan civilians and military personnel have been killed or injured in clashes and explosions in Chamtal, Charbolak and Balkh districts of the province.

Sharifullah, a resident of Mazar-i-Sharif city, told Pajhwok Afghan News that targeted attacks and sticky bomb explosions were taking place in the city almost every day.

“Joblessness one side and targeted killings and explosions on the other side have disrupted the life in Mazar-i-Sharif, no one knows who would be the next target,” he said. He criticized the government for its failure to control the situation.

Khair Mohammad, a resident of Balkh district, said that clashes between the Afghan forces and the Taliban had increased since the beginning of new solar year.

Four civilians have been killed in Afghan forces’ firing in the last one week alone, he said.

“A few days ago a university student who was in his last semester and a driver were killed in firing from nearby security posts and  last Thursday, a man and a woman were killed in Hussainkhel village, around 30 houses were destroyed, people are tired of this situation,” he said.

He said both sides of the conflict threatened people’s lives in pursuit of their own goals.

Mohammad Ismail, a resident of Chamtal district, said that casualties of Afghan forces had increased in the district.

He said a number of security forces were killed and some others captured by Taliban militants in two attacks on security posts on the outskirts of the district centre in the last one month.

“The recent incident happened last week when Taliban stormed a security post in the night that killed 11 security personnel and captured five others, Asimilar incident happened the previous day,” he said.

Meanwhile, civil society activists in Baklh say that besides human losses, the conflict also caused financial losses to the people.

Mohammad Maruf, a civil society activist, said that clashes between Afghan forces and the Taliban had destroyed civilian houses in a number of unstable districts of the province.

The crops harvesting season is also approaching but farmers would be unable to collect their ripe crops produced with year-long efforts if the situation was not controlled, he added.

Some people think that irresponsible armed men were involved in some targeted attacks in Mazar-i-Sharif.

TorabazStanikzai, a political analyst, said that the presence of irresponsible armed men has increased in Mazar-i-Sharif city more than any time before. He believed that the armed men were involved in some targeted killing cases.

Despite repeated promises, the local administration failed to prevent roaming of illegal armed men in the city, he said.

However, Balkh police say that efforts have been accelerated for controlling the situation.

Adil Shah Adil, Balkh police spokesman, said that police detained a number of people last week who had intention of targeted attacks.

He said that robbery cases had also reduced in Mazar-i-Sharif city compared to the past. He also asked people to cooperate with police in controlling the security situation.

Mds/ma