South Asia
Taliban Afghanistan: Government ready to arm, support civilians willing to fight Taliban
Kabul, June 26: The Afghanistan government has said it might arm and support civilians who are willing to fight against the Taliban, media reports said.
There is a strong fear in the country that there might be a resurgence of the Taliban group after the foreign troops leave the South Asian country.
Naqibullah Fayeq, the newly-appointed deputy interior minister, who is in Mazar-e-Sharif, a strategic city in the north to evaluate the security situation, told Afghanistan Times on Wednesday that Kabul would support public mobilization against Taliban “in every province”.
“Taliban will be suppressed, there is an extraordinary support from security officials to people,” he addressed army and police in Mazar-e-Sharif.
Interestingly, Taliban members have recently taken control of several districts in Balkh province.
Fayeq assured that the government would provide weapons, foodstuff, vehicles and other equipment for those who want to defend their soil and homeland, not only in Balkh province, but in every other area.
He assured that Taliban could “never enter the cities”, promising that government forces would retake the districts fell to the insurgents.
“Why should we believe that Taliban are powerful?” Fayeq was quoted as saying by Afghanistan Times, adding that the militants’ recent war was more propaganda while they themselves do not trust they have taken many areas.
