Afghan Army fails to retake lost district from Taliban, more cities likely to fall
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KABUL - The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Friday that security forces are fighting the Taliban to retake Badakhshan’s Kohistan district which fallen to the militants on Thursday evening.
Badakhshan military officials meanwhile said commandos have arrived in the district and are advancing towards Kohistan’s center, TOLO News has reported.
Badakhshan Police Chief Abdul Khaliq Aqsai said the commando troops landed in Kohistan district at midnight and that they have reached near the center of the district.
“We have had less casualties here, but the enemy suffered high fatalities and their key members were killed,” said Aqsai.
“With the arrival of the forces, we will clear a large number of areas related to Kohistan and Raghistan districts,” he added.
Badakhshan Provincial Council members said poor war management is “the main reason” that Taliban has expanded their activities in the province.
Jawed Mujaddidi, member of the council, claimed that security forces left the district center on Thursday evening without any resistance against the Taliban.
“We have said repeatedly that the local government in Badakhshan is weak. We call on Badakhshan residents to stand and defend the country as they did in the past,” Mujaddidi told TOLOnews.
“The central government does not pay attention to demands of people,” said Sayed Omar Bahir, a civil society activist in Badakhshan.
Residents of Badakhshan said government’s negligence on Taliban’s movements in insecure parts is the reason behind the fall of the district.
“We will witness the fall of Faizabad City if the situation prevails,” Wahid Shiwan, a resident of the province, said.
