Nawa turns into a sanctuary for Taliban in Ghazni

GHAZNI CITY (SW): Nawa district in southern province Ghazni has turned into a safe haven for the militants.

Gen. Aminullah Amarkheyl, the police chief in the province, said the district functions as a breeding ground for the fighting in 7 other southern provinces.

Located 200 km away from Ghazni City, the district has been under the militants’ control for 8 years now.

Since the district shares borders with Pakistan, it could be considered as the supplying route for the militants where they can commute to and from the district to Pakistan.

Gen. Amarkheyl told Salam Watandar that Nawa serves as a stronghold for Taliban’s chain of command and recruitment center where their fighters receive military trainings.

Amarkheyl said that clearing the district of the militants was the main objective of the security forces since the district is a highly strategic area.

He added that the security forces in the province could recapture the district but for that they would need extra resources and structures.

Dubbing the district as a “ cancer tumor” affecting Afghanistan, Abdul Jami, a member at the Ghazni provincial council, said that the militants run their own offices like a headquarter, communication centers, hospital and an intelligence department in the district.

He said that Nawa has turned into an ideal district for the Taliban and terrorists.

It is reported that Taliban have established a number of clinics that could provide them with basic medical services in particular for those Taliban fighters who get wounded and are rushed to these very clinics.

Khalilullah Hotak, head of Ghazni Peace Council, said that locals in Nawa have been deprived of all government services and due to the absence of education systems most young men join the Taliban.

Criticizing the Afghan government’s appeasing approach towards Taliban, Hotak said as many as 400 policemen were ready to carry out offensives against Taliban in Nawa but the government yet to take any measure.

Taliban on the other hand have uploaded a video to their website claiming that the district has been under their control for 10 years where they have their own judicial and military centers.

ENDS