Taliban’s Violence Makes Path to Peace ‘Difficult’: Gen. Miller

Miller made the remarks on a trip to the southern Kandahar province on Tuesday where he was accompanied by Afghan Army Chief Gen. Yasin Zia.

Gen. Scott Miller, the US and NATO forces commander in Afghanistan, has said that the Taliban’s continued violence is an obstacle in the way toward peace in Afghanistan.

Miller made the remarks on a trip to the southern Kandahar province on Tuesday where he was accompanied by Afghan Army Chief Gen. Yasin Zia.

He said that foreign forces’ support to the Afghan security forces will continue.

“Commitment remains sound and strong,” he said.

“There is a path to peace, there is an opportunity for peace, but Taliban violence will make the path very difficult to achieve, this is something that is absolutely important for the people of Afghanistan,” added Miller.

Meanwhile, Afghan Army Chief Gen. Yasin Zia said that the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) are fully prepared for war with the Taliban.

He said that the ANDSF recently dealt major blows to the Taliban in Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

Over the past three months, the Taliban launched several attacks in various parts of Kandahar.

“They took good experience from Helmand and Kandahar, many coffins were sent behind their doors across the (Durand Line) who had arrived here to support them (Taliban), so this sends a clear message,” said Zia.

“The enemies have suffered massive casualties, we cleared Arghandab district, the enemy was forced to retreat,” said Shafiqullah Rasoulzai, the commander of 205 Atal Army Corps.

“The military and civilian institutions have good coordination, we want to assure the people that those issues that existed in the past have been solved,” said Rohullah Khanzada, the governor of Kandahar.

Violence has remained high in the country despite peace efforts.

Panjwai, Zherai districts of Kandahar have seen a surge in violence in the past few weeks.

After the start of intra-Afghan talks in Doha on September 12, the Taliban launched major attacks in the south including a major attack on Lashkargah city, the center of Helmand province.

The weeks of violence in Lashkargah left thousands of people homeless.