Armed groups a threat to security: Ibrahimi

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): Illegal armed groups continued to operate in parts of northern Takhar province, posing a security threat, the governor said on Wednesday.

Abdul Latif Ibrahimi said these groups were involved in incidents of extortion, robberies and creating insecurity.

The governor was speaking after handing over dozens of weapons to Disarmament of Illegal Armed Groups Programme (DIAG) officials. The weapons had been confiscated in a series of operations.

The governor said efforts for disarming illegal armed individuals had been intensified in the lead-up to the presidential runoff election in Takhar.

“I hope we will disarm all illegal armed groups so that common people can live in peace,” said Ibrahimi, who is also member of the DIAG programme. However, he did not say how many armed groups exist in Takhar.

Meanwhile, a resident of the Baharak district, Saifur Rahman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that illegal armed individuals continued to pose a serious security threat to local residents.

“If police increase liaison with residents, it will result in decreased connection between locals and armed groups, including insurgents,” he opined.

A resident of Taloqan, Naqibullah, said dozens of people lost their lives to clashes between illegal armed groups each year, something that continued uninterrupted.

He said the government had long been claiming it was trying to disarm illegal armed groups, but the campaign had little success.

Earlier this year, one illegal armed man was killed and two others wounded during a clash with rival armed individuals in the Baikabad area of Taloqan.

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