Offensive attack to be started if Taliban not stop violence, ANDSF

National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib in his recent remark by pointing to Taliban attacks has said the country’s defense and security forces are in defensive position, saying the Afghan security forces’ position will change to offensive if Taliban fighters not stop attacks on ANDSF.
This comes after peace agreement was signed between US and Taliban and the group has agreed that it would reduce violence and attacks, but unfortunately the group has increased its attacks on ANDSF in the past one week.
Nevertheless, officials for the ministry of defense have warned Taliban fighters to reduce their attacks and given deadline for the group, or they will resume their offensive attacks on the group in various parts of the country.
“Unfortunately Taliban after the peace agreement with US have not acted upon their commitments and continued their attacks on Afghan security forces as before,” said Asadullah Khalid, acting minister of defense.
Acting Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid said the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) would end their defensive stance by the end of this week, criticizing the Taliban for “breaching” their commitments during the reduction in violence period.
Figures show that during reduction in violence week, Kandahar, Kabul, Helmand, Uruzgan, Balkh, Kapisa, Samangan, Farah, Ghazni, Logar and Laghman provinces faced security incidents.
A number of Afghan military experts believe that it is better that Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) should start their offensive attacks against Taliban fighters.
“Undoubtedly Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have now high military capabilities and have been able to control security situation in general, but they should start their offensive attacks on the Taliban fighters before they increase and start their spring offensive on ANDSF in the country,” said Javed Kohistani, an Afghan military expert.
He added that fortunately ANDSF have successfully passed the reduction in violence week and acted upon their commitments for reduction of their attacks on Taliban fighters in the country, but criticizing the Taliban group for breaching their commitments made for reduction of violence in the country where dozens of innocent civilians have been killed as a result of their attacks so far.
Amir Mohammad, another Afghan military expert believes that increasing of Taliban attacks on ANDSF show that the group does not believe in peace and peace talks.
“If the Taliban group believes in peace in the country, they should stop their violence as peace talks can be only succeeded when all sides to conflict reduce violence and fighting in the country,” Amir Mohammad stressed.
It is worth mentioning that at the end of the reduction in violence week, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement in Doha, Qatar, on February 29 while a joint Afghan-US declaration was announced in Kabul on the same day. Based on these two documents, the intra-Afghan talks should begin on March 10.