“Taliban eyeing to overrun Darqad in Takhar”

TALOQAN (SW): Officials in northern Takhar province have said that the Taliban are eyeing to overrun Darqad district in the province.

Noor Mohammad Hakimi, police chief, told Salam Watandar that the militants have dispatched a number of their fighters towards Darqad. He noted that the rebels further aim to bring the neighboring Yangi Qala and Khuwaja Bahauddin districts as well.

As per his information, the militants’ commanders Mawlawi Kamal, Mawlawi Baseer and Mawlawi Nasrullah all live in Darqad and are in-charge of this operation. He noted that the Taliban do have some public support in this area and are busy with recruitment activities these days.

Meanwhile, analysts believe the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are fully prepared to thwart any attempt by the militants to destabilize the province.

A local civil society activist Danish, who is also professor at the Takhar Universtiy, said in this regard that it was the lack of attention on the part of the ANSF that led to unrest in a number of areas in the province. He feared that if the officials remained reluctant, Takhar, which is near to the restive Baghlan, Badakhshan and Kunduz provinces, might see a surge in militancy in the coming days.

It is vital to note that Darqad remained under the Taliban for almost a month before the ANSF reclaimed it and hoisted the tri-color national flag over it once again.

ENDS