KABUL: The
Taliban warned
Kabul residents Monday to avoid “military centres” in the heavily fortified city, saying they are planning more
attacks in the Afghan capital where civilians have long borne the brunt of casualties.The militant group has issued such warnings to civilians before, including during a failed attempt to take the western city of Farah last week, but it is believed to be the first time they have singled out Kabul. The United Nations has said the capital — where the Islamic State group is also stepping up
attacks — is already the deadliest place in the country for civilians. The
Taliban said they were planning more
attacks on “the enemy’s military and intelligence centres” as part of an annual spring offensive. “Therefore, to avoid civilian casualties and only cause damage to enemy military, we are asking
Kabul residents to keep away... we don’t want even a single innocent civilian to be killed,” said a statement published online. In response, the defence ministry said police and troops are “ready to protect the people with all means possible”, and would not allow the militants to reach their “un-Islamic and inhuman goals”. The
Taliban did not define what was meant by “military and intelligence centres”. Such targets are difficult to avoid given that the overcrowded city is the heart of the country’s intelligence, government and military operations and plagued by traffic jams due to ubiquitous checkpoints and barriers. “Any
attacks or explosions, even a small one, would cause civilian casualties because military installations are located in the centre of the city near people’s houses,” political and military analyst Nik Mohammad told AFP.
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