Will eliminate Taliban if ordered so: Corps commander

GARDEZ (Pajhwok): The Afghan National Army (ANA) commander for southern zone claims to have inflected heavy casualties on militants and thwarted many of their plans after switching to offensive posture.

Brig. Gen. Gada Mohammad Dost, acting commander for 203^rd Thunder Military Corps, made the remarks during a program titled “My Soldier, My Hero” held by the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) here.

The event was attended by military officials, dozens of soldiers, youth, civil society activists and poets to pay homage to soldiers.

Paktia governor Mohammad Halim Fidai termed the continuation of war by the Taliban had declared the Afghan conflict as illicit.

He said: “The Taliban prioritized peace deal with the US against the Holy Quran, Egypt, Indonesia and Bangladesh had called the Afghan conflict as illegitimate.”

Gada Mohammad Dost said the Taliban movement had intensified its attacks against Afghans following directives of foreign intelligence.

He said they would suppress the Taliban if received orders to do so. Dost told Pajhwok they had foiled several Taliban plots in line of duty and inflicted heavy casualties on them.

Abdul Karim, a soldier of the military corps, said he loved military from childhood and now he was serving the country in the field.

Hassan Akif, provincial IDLG official, said the conduct of this program was was aimed at promoting coordination between the people and the government.

sa/ma