NDS chief warns Taliban preparing for war not peace

Ahmad Zia Saraj, Chief of the National Directorate of Security, said Saturday that the Taliban has no intention of laying down arms, nor does it want peace as they are preparing to intensify the conflict across the country.

Addressing a press conference, Saraj stated that the group has increased attacks on Afghan forces since the beginning of the new solar year.

“The Taliban are preparing for war. The group has no will for peace. The members of the group are busy harvesting poppies and then they (Taliban militants) have planned to carry out attacks on various parts of the country,” Saraj stated.

The Taliban insurgents have carried out attacks on the Afghan Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF) in several provinces since the beginning of the year.

According to reports, Taliban captured the Churkh district of Logar, after blowing up a bridge connecting the Arghandab district to Kandahar city.

In addition to this, the Taliban attacked a joint military base of US and Afghan forces in Khost province this week and a military base in Shindand in Herat province.

The Taliban also assassinated the chief of the Special Unit of the Baghlan police and the Head of Takhar Ulema in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Afghan security forces carried out several operations in parts of the country in the last 14 days.

Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) seized a weapons cache belonging to Commander Alipour, a public uprising commander, in the Bihsud district of Maidan Wardak province.

In another operation, the ANDSF killed at least 16 Taliban militants in two separate operations in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz and Shinkai district of Zabul province.

The Defense Ministry said that heavy clashes were currently underway between the Afghan forces and militants in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Kandahar, Faryab, Helmand and Nangarhar, which have reportedly resulted in heavy casualties among ANDSF troops.