Taliban steps up attacks on Afghan highways

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-01 21:34:14|Editor: ying
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KABUL, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants fighting the government to regain power and reestablish the hardliner outfit's reign in Afghanistan, has stepped up attacks on highways in the war-ravaged country to mount pressure on government.

The armed group in its latest attempt to exert pressure on government forces and display its presence elsewhere in the country began checking travelers on the main highway linking the capital city Kabul to the southern Kandahar province.

According to media reports, armed Taliban fighters established a checkpoint in Sayedabad district of Wardak province at 05:00 a.m. local time and began intercepting and checking passenger buses heading from Kabul to Kandahar and vice-versa.

Confirming the report, Abdul Rahman Mangal, the spokesman for Wardak provincial government said that the security forces had been sent to the area and so far two Taliban fighters had been killed and several others injured.

He also hoped that the highway would soon be reopened and militants would flee the area.

In a similar step, Taliban insurgents attacked the road linking the capital city of Kabul to the northern Mazar-e-Sharif city in Kilagai area of Dushi district on Monday triggering gun battle and the security forces after fighting for four hours were able to reopen the road, Dushi district governor Shamsudin Sarhadi said.

Afghan observers believe that the Taliban by attacking highways and checking passengers from one hand wants to defame the government and from the other to intimidate government supporters traveling by buses and win media's attention in its propaganda war.

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