Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: At least 400 perpetrators have been arrested on charge of organizing magnetic bomb explosions since this new subversive tactic was started around several months ago, authorities said on Tuesday.
The sticky mine blast that often targets high-profile figures in urban areas is considered the insurgents’ new tactic to pose security threats across Afghanistan.
Speaking at “State Accountability Program” Minister of Interior, Masoud Andarabi said that the Taliban failed on the battlefields and that the insurgents were intensively defeated by the Afghan security forces in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. According to him, 600 Taliban fighters were killed in Arghandab district of Kandahar, where severe clashes between the militants and Afghan security forces have been prolonging for more than two months.
The existence of a large number of mines planted by the Taliban, Andarabi said “poses hurdles in the security forces’ operations.” The Taliban against all international and human norms planted 10 mines within 100 square meters in some areas of Arghandab district, he said, adding that the security forces defused 1,300 mines in the district.
He called on the Taliban to stop killing Afghans as the government also didn’t intend to launch “spring” operations to stay committed to the peace process.
In response to the Taliban’s warning of using developed-weapons against the Afghan security forces if the US does not withdraw troops on time, Andarabi said that the Afghan security forces stood ready for “any kind of situation” to defend the country.
He estimated the number of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan around 30,000, saying that the rest of their fighters are civilians who are being forced by the group to join the insurgency.
16,287 criminal cases occurred within the past 11 months, the interior minister said, adding that 21,369 perpetrators were arrested on charge of various types of crimes.
