BADAKHSHAN (SW): A number of civil society activists, residents and the Chairman of Badakhshan’s Provincial Council told Salam Watandar that if the clean-up and recapture operation of the lost areas in the province are not launched by the Afghan National Army, the level of insecurity in this province will increase.
Bashir Sameem, Chairman of Badakhshan’s Provincial Council said that two districts of this province are fully under the control of Taliban and 11 other districts have been circuitously controlled by the Taliban insurgents.
According to Bashir Sameem, the winter is the best time to launch a clean-up operation, and if the government does not carry out military operations in this season when the Taliban are trying to recruit and reinforce their manpower, the insurgents will launch bigger operations against the ANA in the spring when the weather gets warmer.
Jahidullah Payam, one of the civil society activists in Badakhshan said that the range of insecurity has grown in the city of Faizabad.
According to Mr. Payam, if the clean-up operation is not launched, in addition to the collapse of the centers of the districts, the city of Faizabad will not remain safe as well.
Ahmad Faizbeigzada, the governor of Badakhshan told Salam Watandar that if the operation is not launched to recapture Wardoj and Yamgan districts, and some part of Jaram district and eradicate Taliban and ISIS from these areas, the security situation in Badakhshan will be more hostile in future.
According to the governor of Badakhshan, a plan for launching the operation has been sent to Kabul and they are waiting for the central government’s guidance and cooperation to carry out the operations.
The local authorities in Badakhshan vowed to set up early clean-up operations to recapture the areas back from Taliban, however, a number of the residents of Badakhshan and some of the provincial council members are cynical of those promises.
“Although the government has repeatedly announced extensive operations, none of these promises have been implemented so far”, the residents and provincial council members told salam watandar.
ENDS
