8,000 people killed this year, Senate told

KABUL due to the lingering political crisis, but Afghan forces had been able to prevent insurgents from reaching their targets.

They informed the Meshrano Jirga was awaited.

Pakistani forces have started digging the trenches in Balochistan province to curb incursions from Afghanistan into the neighboring country. Roughly 235 kilometres of the trench has been completed and the remainder is expected to be completed by October 30.

The upper house was told that 16 people had been killed in rocket attacks from Pakistan since March this year and that Kabul would report Islamabad to the UN Security Council (UNSC) if the attacks continued.

The security bosses, including Defence Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, told lawmakers that they condemned the firing incident that took place during the Martyrs Week observance in Kabul and would not allow anyone in future to commit such illegal acts.

Mohammadi was summoned to the upper house along with Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Daudzai and National Directorate of Security (NDS) deputy chief Hassamuddin Hassam to brief lawmakers about the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Security

The defence minister said there were more security incidents this year than the previous year due to the security transition and the elections.

He said the Afghan government was concerned that insurgents would capture many areas after the withdrawal of foreign troops, but they faced with stiff resistance from Afghan forces, who did not let them reach their goals.

“Our forces are in a position where they can defend the country. The forces face problems in areas of artillery and air force,” the defence minister said.

He said the Taliban and their foreign backers tried their best this year to topple the Afghan government, but failed.

He said some neighbouring countries did not want peace in Afghanistan and were out to create problems for the Kabul administration.

Mohammadi said since many security incidents were linked to the elections, the two candidates should resolve their differences to save the country from further violence.

The minister said the Taliban had carried out 5774 attacks, including 62 suicide and 691 gun attacks, since March 21.

Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Daudzai also confirmed that the insurgents had been trying this year to capture areas and made people distrust their forces, but they did not succeed.

He said 1,523 policemen were killed and 2,506 were injured during the ongoing solar year, when 955 civilians were also killed and 2,054 maimed. The Taliban’s toll was 5,503 dead and 2,370 injured, he said.

Daudzai said foreign militants outnumbered their Afghan comrades this year and the aliens were noticed speaking Urdu.

NDS deputy head Hassam told the Senate that the Taliban’s spring offensive codenamed “Khyber” had failed to achieve the desired results despite support from foreign terrorists.

“They have asked all shadow governors and district chiefs to launch their operations until they capture a province or a district, but they failed to do so,” the spy service acting chief said.

Rocket attacks from Pakistan and trench digging

Daudzai said 4421 rockets were fired from Pakistan into Afghanistan this year, killing 16 people. “The National Security Council has twice approved giving a tit-for-tat response to Pakistan, but why the action was not taken, I have no answer,” the minister told lawmakers.

About the trench Pakistani forces have been digging along the border, Daudzai said Islamabad had no convincing reason to embark on the digging.

He said Pakistan had long been trying to complete the trench in order to declar it a border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said he could not go into details until the Afghan delegation tasked with investigating the digging returned with its findings.

President Karzai has appointed the three-member delegation to investigate the trench digging along the Durand Line by the Pakistani forces.

Mohammadi said the Afghan delegation would enter talks with Pakistani officials on the trench issue today (Tuesday).

He said if Pakistani did not stop firing rockets into Afghanistan, they would complain to the UNSC in this regard.

Martyrs Week

“Some people spread terror in Kabul on the occasion of marking the Martyrs Week. It did not suit the occasion and those who fired into the air did no good job,” Mohammadi said.

Daudzai also said some unacceptable acts were committed during the Martyrs Week celebrations in Kabul. He warned if someone resorted to aerial firing in future, the police would take stern action under the law.

Senate Chairman Fazl Hadi Muslimyar said the explanations offered by the three officials were satisfactory.

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