Local officials said that Taliban launched attacks on Obe district in western Herat province.
Waheed Qatali Herat’s governor said Tuesday that the Taliban launched their attacks by demolishing a bridge that connected Obe district with other parts of the Herat province.
Following the destruction of the bridge Taliban attacked government security positions in the region, Qatali said.
The bridge was blown up on Tuesday morning causing transportation problems for the people in Obe district.
Qatali added that the Taliban militants think by wrecking the bridge they would make it difficult for security forces to get supplies.
According to the provincial governor, three Taliban fighters including their commander were also killed during the ongoing clashes, and it is the Taliban’s first group attack after three days of Eid’s ceasefire.
Taliban so far did not comment on the attack.
This comes as President Ashraf Ghani on Monday in an interview with PBS News stressed if the Taliban needs peace, they should respect the gains over decades and foremost women’s rights.
If the group does not want peace and wants to militarily impose a dictatorial regime then “all the patriotic forces of Afghanistan would have to rally and make a decision. And that issue, unfortunately, would have to be decided on the field of battle”.
In case of Foreign troops’ withdrawal, the Afghan government has been “ready for months” and this pull out “clarifies a lot of things”, the president added that “the war will become simpler, because their (Taliban)-all their allegations of international conspiracy or international desire to stay permanently, et cetera, has now come to an end. We need to work together”.
As the United States has no intention to stay longer in Afghanistan, “consequently” regional countries and the international community needs “to get together to arrive at a collective security strategy”.
The Taliban are not holding territories in the provinces despite their efforts to capture, President Ghani said, the militants carrying sporadic attacks makes them a destructive force.
“Arghandab was the only district in Kandahar where they tried to hold. And now the people hate them with passion,” President Ghani said.
President Ghani reiterated that the key to political settlement is that the Taliban should accept Afghanistan’s political system is based on elections.
“That is the fundamental bottom line. Other things are discussible, negotiable. But if that fundamental issue is not granted, then the question of rights and the question of gains that have occurred in the last 20 years, particularly vis-a-vis women, youth, minorities, all walks of life, will be put into question”, the President explained.
President Ghani also mentioned that if there is war, he is not willing to step down but will only hand over the power to an elected successor.
“If there is war, I am the commander in chief. I will not abandon my people. I will not abandon my forces. I am willing to die for my country. I have no interest in power. I’m committed to the principle of ensuring order. Afghan society wants order” he said.
He further elaborated saying terrorism has not completely disappeared from Afghanistan and it has changed, these terrorist networks are not only from the region but from 16 different countries and are trying to return to Afghanistan with their families.
