KABUL – Lawmakers from Maidan Wardak province said on Sunday, during aWolesi Jirga session, that Taliban insurgents stormed as many as 16 checkposts and made off with military hardware, weapons and ammunition.
MPs said the attacks took place against Afghan Public Protection Force(APPF) check posts in Jalrez district of the province.
However, APPF soldiers claim 13 check posts were captured and that theyhave been under siege for three days. They said the check posts fell to theTaliban on Friday and on Saturday.
The APPF soldiers told TOLOnews that no reinforcements have arrived in thearea but they said a number of airstrikes were carried out on Sundaytargeting the insurgents.
The defense ministry spokesman meanwhile said it has deployed Commandos andSpecial Forces to the area to retake the check posts.
Defense experts have accused the Taliban of exploiting government’sceasefire that was extended for 10 days after the successful Eid-ul-Fitrtruce.
The Presidential Palace in turn said the ceasefire is what the Afghannation wants.
“The president has stressed the need for appropriate management of theceasefire; the president has clearly stated that we will not tolerate thedangers which will be posed during the truce days; our security and defenseforces are on red alert to retaliate to any sort of hostile move,” saidPresident Ashraf Ghani’s deputy spokesman Shahhussain Murtazawi.
Although Ghani extended the government’s unilateral truce with the Talibanafter Eid-ul-Fitr, the Taliban failed to do the same and instead ramped upattacks across the country.
Meanwhile reports from Kunduz province indicate that the Afghan securityforces resumed their military operation code named Toofan-e-13 against theTaliban after the group defied the truce and carried out attacks.
“The security forces have launched an operation code name Toofan-e-13 inImam Sahib district, the operation is aimed at clearing areas which havebeen under the control of the opponents,” said Kunduz police departmentspokesman Enaamuddin Rahmani.
Security officials have said that battles between the Taliban and thesecurity forces are ongoing in at least ten provinces and that both sideshave sustained heavy casualties.