Gulf Today

Taliban say do not want to fight inside Afghan cities

Taliban do not want to batle government forces inside cities and would rather see them surrender, says senior leader and the militants also warned Turkey against extending its troop presence

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The Taliban do not want to batle government forces inside Afghanista­n’s cities and would rather see them surrender, a senior insurgent leader said on Tuesday, as the militants also warned Turkey against extending its troop presence.

The group has swept through much of the north as foreign troops complete their withdrawal, and the government now holds litle more than a constellat­ion of provincial capitals that must largely be resupplied by air.

On Tuesday, the head of a Taliban commission that oversees government forces who surrender urged residents of Afghanista­n’s cities to reach out to them.

“Now that the fighting from mountains and deserts has reached the doors of the cities, Mujahiddin (Taliban) don’t want fighting inside the city,” Amir Khan Mutaqi said in a message tweeted by a Taliban spokesman.

“It is beter... to use any possible channel to get in touch with our invitation and guidance commission,” he said, adding this would “prevent their cities from geting damaged.”

The strategy is one well-worn by the Taliban - particular­ly during their first rise to power in the 1990s - cuting off towns and district centres and geting elders to negotiate a surrender.

Mutaqi’s comments came as the defence ministry said Afghan forces had cleared Qala-iNaw city ater days of fighting.

The Badghis province capital saw sustained street fighting last week in the first assault by the Taliban on a major urban centre since foreign troops commenced their final withdrawal in May.

The call also came the same day as a video emerged that CNN said it had verified showing a group of Afghan commandos being gunned down by the Taliban in June ater surrenderi­ng.

In a separate statement Tuesday, the Taliban said Turkey’s decision to provide security to Kabul airportwhe­nus-ledforcesl­eavewas“reprehensi­ble.”

“We consider stay of foreign forces in our homeland by any country under whatever pretext as occupation,” the group said, days ater Ankara agreed with Washington to provide security for Kabul airport. As foreign forces wind up their withdrawal - due to be completed by Aug.31 - the situation on the ground is changing rapidly.

The top US general in Afghanista­n relinquish­ed his command on Monday at a ceremony in the capital, the latest symbolic gesture bringing America’s longest war nearer to an end.

The pace of the pullout - and multiple offensives launched by the Taliban - have raised fears that Afghanista­n’s security forces could be switly overwhelme­d, particular­ly without vital US air support.

Around 650 American service members are expected to remain in Kabul, guarding Washington’s sprawling diplomatic compound.

But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he had agreed with the United States on the “scope” of how to secure Kabul airport.

Peace talks between the insurgents and the government supposedly taking place in Doha have largely fizzled out, and the Taliban now appear set on a complete military victory.

But claims by the hardline group to control 85 per cent of the country are impossible to verify independen­tly - and strongly disputed by the government.

The insurgents have tried to capture cities in the past, but so far have failed to keep them.

They briefly held the northern city of Kunduz in 2015 and 2016 but were pushed out by government forces.

In 2018, insurgents seized Ghazni for a few days, torching its main bazaar and killing scores of civilians.

In the latest fighting, local officials said the Taliban had captured two districts in the largely Shiite Hazara province of Bamiyan.

During their repressive rule two decades ago, the insurgents drew internatio­nal outrage by blowing up giant centuries-old statues of Buddha in Bamiyan.

More Afghans are likely to flee their homes due to escalating violence, the UN refugee agency warned on Tuesday, as the Taliban take control of more territory in response to the withdrawal of Us-led foreign forces.

“Afghanista­n is on the brink of another humanitari­an crisis. This can be avoided. This should be avoided,” Babar Baloch, spokesman of the UN High Commission­er for Refugees (UNHCR), told a Geneva news briefing.

 ?? Reuters ?? A convoy of Afghan Special Forces is seen at a check post in Kandahar province on Tuesday.
Reuters A convoy of Afghan Special Forces is seen at a check post in Kandahar province on Tuesday.

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