KABUL (SW) – Leaders of the popular uprising forces in various parts of the government complained the government has not taken practical measures to back them.
Following the increase in attacks by the Taliban in some provinces and the capture of districts by the insurgents, the uprising forces in many districts announced their support for the security forces.
At the same time, a number of former jihadi commanders announced their readiness to support and mobilize local forces.
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Prominent figures such as Atta Mohammad Noor, head of the splinter branch of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, Mohammad Mohaqiq, head of the Wahdat-e-Milli party, Abdul Rashid Dostum, leader of the Junbish party, and a number of other former jihadi commanders called on the local forces to unite against the Taliban.
Now, however, many commanders of these local forces said though the government had promised to equip them, no action has been taken.
They stressed the local forces has the spirit to fight the Taliban and are ready to help the security forces if the government decides to retake the fallen districts.
Ghulam Qadir Sikandari, a spokesman for Mohammad Mohaqiq, said if the government plan to retake the districts, their local forces will stand behind the security forces as a support group.
Meanwhile, many members of provincial councils say that the government’s lack of support for the local forces has led to the collapse of the district. They added the local forces do not take part in military operations and only act as auxiliary troops behind the security forces on the battlefield.
Nader Saeedi, a member of the Faryab Provincial Council, said: “Unfortunately, for several years now, the government has not supported the local uprising forces, and this was one of the reasons for the collapse of the districts. The forces were looked down upon and the districts fell.”
The defense ministry spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment, but said that after the fall of some districts and the re-establishment of local forces against the Taliban, the Ministry of Defense said it was supporting the force and would provides weapons and ammunition to them.
Spokesman for the security sector, Ajmal Omar Shinwari, told a press conference here that the recently formed anti-Taliban militia force at the grassroots level across the country would work under the umbrella of the Afghan army.
ENDS
