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KABUL (SW): Some four days ago, Akhundzada religious school in Taftani village of Dasht-e Archi in Kunduz was the target of aerial raids by security forces.
The local authorities attributed the attack to foreign forces at the very first moments of the attack, however, security officials later took responsibility for the attack and announced that the Afghan security forces have targeted senior Taliban officials at the seminary where a religious gathering was taking palace.
A senior government official who didn’t want to be named told Salam Watandar that the attack has been one of a kind over the last ten years and has been carried out by the US forces.
According to the source, the attack targeted the high-level meeting that senior Taliban commanders were attending.
The anonymous source added that attacked target was one of the training centers for the terrorist groups, and the victims who were reported under the name of the civilians were indeed members of the Taliban group.
However, the US Army spokeswoman, Cole Lissa Garcia, denied the involvement of the US forces in the Kunduz operation saying that the US military had no involvement in the attack at the religious gathering.
General Mortaza, the commander of the 20th Army Brigade in a conversation with Salam Watandar said that the Taliban have been holding their meetings under the name of religious gatherings to protect themselves from the attacks of the Afghan Security Forces.
Gen. Mortaza also rejected the involvement of the US forces in the attack saying the Afghan National Army has planned and implemented the attack by themselves.
The Taftani village is located in the southwest of Dasht-e Archi, about 4 km from the city center between the Kunduz and Khaja Ghar district.
Taliban recently build a township and a bazaar with the help of the local people in Taftani and the local residents under the control of this group have been purchasing from this bazaar. The Akhundzada religious school is located one kilometer from this bazaar.
The Taliban have been controlling Taftani since nine years, and the village’s market or bazaar is one of the sources of income for the Taliban group in Kunduz.
Ajmal, a resident of Taftani village told Salam Watandar that, foreigners including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan citizens have been coming to the village, “Landmines have been placed in the main road to this village by the Taliban and the people are travelling through pathways and other routes”.
The attack on the Akhundzada religious school had sparked criticisms of the government. Some condemned this attack due to civilians’ casualties; however, some supported the Afghan National Army for this attack.
Jawed Kohistani, an expert on the military affair said that if you peer into the details of the attack, the civilians and religious gathering have not been the real target, but the Taliban leaders were, though some civilians and crowd who were fleeing due to fear have been harmed as well.
The Taliban are very well aware of the psychological warfare and those who have been criticizing the security forces for civilian causalities indeed serve the Taliban, Kohistani added.
However, Atiquallah Amarkheil, another expert on military affairs had a different perspective in this regard. According to Amarkheil, attack on a religious site is a tricky game. With such kinds of attacks, the government’s effort for peace will be jeopardized, Amarkheil added.
The Taliban reacted to the attack soon after the attack took place and said the attack targeted the civilians and all the victims were civilians.
Nonetheless, the government and the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Representatives) have formed different inquiry committees to investigate the attack.
According to the security officials, at least 18 senior Taliban leaders were killed in the attack on Akhundzada religious school and 12 other Taliban commanders were injured. However, local officials announced that 100 people were killed and 200 others were wounded in the attack as well.
ENDS
