Hundreds Take Up Arms Across Afghanistan in Support of ANDSF

Hundreds of people, many of them armed, on Friday poured into streets in 10 provinces of the country to raise their voice in support of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), announcing their preparation to fight the Taliban.

Those who rallied on streets said they will not allow the Taliban to take over their villages.

In northern Takhar province, a number of women went to the frontline where they distributed food and fruits to the security forces who are battling the Taliban in the area.

“It will be good if we Afghans sit together instead of killing each other,” said Mohammad Asher Arab, a tribal elder from Takhar.

“As well as in Farkhar district, the security forces in cooperation with the people dealt major blow to the enemy,” Takhar Police Chief Ekramuddin Sari said.

The northern province of Sar-e-Pul is one of the provinces where the Taliban has taken over several districts. Many residents of the province have taken up arms to fight the Taliban.

“We are taking up arms to mobilize the second generation of resistance to fight against the dark regime of the Taliban, so we will defend until the last drop of our blood,” said Ghulam Sakhi, a resident in Ghor province.

“We will wait until next week. If the lost territory is not retaken by the security forces, we will act on our own,” said Mohammad Noor Rahmani, the head of Ghor provincial council.

In Khost province, dozens of residents have taken up arms to fight the Taliban.

At least 200 residents of Zabul led by governor Hamidullah Tokhi have taken up arms for the fight against the Taliban, local officials said.

Moreover, some influential political figures have mobilized hundreds of armed men to support the Afghan forces on the battlefields.

“No one should think that with these takeovers, the Taliban has been equipped and will transfer the tanks to Punjab,” Deputy Minister of Interior Naqibullah Fayeq, who has traveled to Baghlan, said.