Insecurity causing exodus in 2 Jawzjan towns

SHIBERGHAN (Pajhwok): Dozens of families have fled homes in Qush Tapa and Darzab districts of northern Jawzjan province due to increasing insecurity.

The geographical location of the two districts make them an ideal safe haven for armed insurgent groups accused of creating problems for people living along the Shiberghan-Sar-i-Pul and Shiberghan-Darzab highways.

Qari Amanullah Rafiqui, a Darzab resident, told Pajhwok Afghan News the routine life had been miserable over the past three months due increasing pressure from the armed groups.

“Every day security gets worse and people are forced into leaving homes under pressure from armed groups for the capital city”, he said.

Hayatullah, who lives in Qush Tapa, complained armed groups forcibly snatched money and food from them.

He said security was only concentrated on the district capital while armed groups freely moved in villages. “If insecurity continues like this, people will have no choice but to leave their homes,” he added.

Security officials cited a decrease in number of Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel as a reason behind the increasing insecurity.

Col. Abdul Manan Raufi, an official at the provincial police HQ, said that before there had been 600 ALP men stationed in the two districts but 200 of them had abandoned their job.

Darzab chief Zabihullah also said increasing the APL strength would help improve security.

ra/ma

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