Urgent action sought as Taliban besiege Bala Murghab district

QALA-NAW (Pajhwok): Taliban militants have laid siege to the center of Bala Murghab district in northwestern Badghis province after overrunning 25 security posts, sources said on Friday, calling for immediate action.

A member of the provincial council, Haji Bahauddin, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the Taliban had captured 15 police and as many local police posts in various parts of the district.

He said as of 3pm on Friday, the fighting between security forces and Taliban gunmen was ongoing just half a kilometer away from the Bala Murghab district headquarters.

The public representative warned if measures were not taken forthwith, the rebels would capture the district center.

As a result of the clashes, he said, some 450 families had fled homes in Qabchaq area to the district center. He said 15 Taliban fighters were killed in yesterday’s clashes, but had no information about casualties to the government forces.

But his colleague Farid Akhezi said the rebels inflicted casualties on the government forces and took some hostage as they captured a number of security posts over the past few days.

In Kabul, the Youth National and Social Organ expressed deep concern over the security situation in the Bala Murghab district.

Najib Fikarman, a member of the group, claimed at least 70 security forces suffered casualties during their week-long clashes with Taliban militants in the district. He said the rebels had captured at least 30 security personnel alive.

Another member of the group, Mohammad Akbar Hotak, said if urgent measures were not taken, the Bala Murghab district would fall into the hands of insurgents, which would lead to a humanitrain crisis.

He warned if the rebels captured Bala Murghab, insecurity would spread to the north and west of the country.

The Taliban said they captured a security forces battalion, five security posts and 14 security men surrendered to the fighters in Bala Murghab last night.

The Badghis governor’s spokesman, Jamshid Shahabi, said hundreds of militants, including foreign nationals, had gathered to capture the town, but they were facing stiff resistance from security forces.

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