‘Causes of conflict in Laghman, Baghlan to be revealed soon’

KABUL (Pajhwok): Security officials on Tuesday accused intelligence agencies of regional countries of propaganda war against Afghan forces, saying the causes of conflicts in Laghman and Baghlan provinces would be revealed soon to the public.

Insecurity and extortions

Testifying before the Mesharano Jirga or Senate, acting Interior Minister Hayatullah Hayat said that extortions on the country’s highways had dropped by 80 percent and over 200 people including security personnel, illegal armed men and strongmen who were involved in the crime had been arrested.

In response to a question about the fall of Jalriz district of MaidanWardak province to Taliban, Hayat said that the district fell as weather condition was not suitable for Afghan air forces to assist the ground forces who were under siege at the time.

He said that efforts were on for recapturing of the district.

Jalriz district was captured by the Taliban on May 21 a few days after the rebels captured Nerkh district of the province.

Dawlatshah district of Laghman province was also captured by the Taliban on May 20 and the militants and Afghan forces are engaged in intense fights on the outskirts of Mehtarlam city, the provincial capital since the last few days during which a number of security posts were also captured by the Taliban.

On the other hand, Hayat said that reinforcements and military supplies had reached Laghman province.

“Laghman is not destabilized due to conflicts, it has other causes and efforts are on to control them, besides Laghman, insecurity in Baghlan also has other causes,” he said without elaborating.

Hayat said that militant attacks against Afghan forces had increased by seven percent compared to the last year but 90 percent of their assaults were thwarted.

Propaganda war

Hayatullah Hayat accused intelligence agencies of regional countries on conducting propaganda war in Afghanistan and said that the propaganda was about collapse of Afghanistan to militants after the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Ongoing war in Afghanistan is prohibited following Fetwas of world Islamic scholars while some regional countries declare Fetwas in support of conflict in the country, he said.

“Our information shows that Taliban have lost their support in the Afghan public, in the past when a car bomb would happen, a person would drive that car, but now… no one gets ready to carry out such attack,” he said without giving details.

He said that the Taliban suffered huge casualties and they had no ability to confront Afghan forces in face to face war and the group instead conducted bombings, suicide attacks and destruction of public facilities.

Intelligence chief, Ahmad Zia Saraj also said that 3,466 attacks had been carried out by militants across the country which according to him, showed seven percent hike in attacks in the last two months of the new solar year compared to the same period last year.

Civilian casualties increased by 35 percent during this period compared to the same period last year, he said, adding Afghan forces also conducted 2,700 attacks against militants that showed 50 percent increase in assaults compared to the same period last year.

Saraj said that Afghans were faced with propaganda war as there was no war in some regions but propaganda of war for the same regions was promoted.

“Pakistan’s interference is obvious to all, there are enough documents to prove it, Pakistan has also joined some other intelligence agencies, the interference of Pakistan continued and is continuing, but we should solve our internal problems and should be able to close Pakistan’s hands here…,” he said.

Corruption in customs offices

Interior minister and intelligence chief acknowledged corruption in customs offices, but said that efforts were on to control it.

A week back, Mohammad Khalid Painda, acting finance minister, in a meeting with lawmakers said that around seven or eight million US dollars were embezzled from the country’s customs points on a daily basis. He said that he would reveal the names of government officials involved in the corruption.

Mds/ma

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