Residents say Ajristan likely to fall into Taliban’s hands

GHAZNI CITY (PAN hands without urgent action.

The Taliban have been attacking district headquarters and nearby government buildings for the past three days, a former provincial council member and a resident of the town, Mohammad Kabir, said.

He said the insurgents had intensified their attacks in the district, but that officials had not yet taken any action.

He said a large number of people had left their houses due to clashes between the insurgents and local security officials.

The Taliban have twice overrun the district in the past, but on each occasion the government retook it.

A tribal elder, Tawakkul Mullakhel, said the district had long been neglected by the government. Residents of the remote area face many hardships, he said, and so far nothing had been done to prevent the major attacks of the past three days.

ma/kg