Afghan President Ashraf Ghani orders security forces to attack Taliban instead of defending themselves

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday announced after a series of attacks on Afghan security forces and civilians in the country that the Afghan army would now conduct more offensive operations than defensive operations against the Taliban.

Violence in the Afghan capital Kabul and Nangarhar on Tuesday killed at least 39 people and injured dozens, apparently leading to President Ghani's announcement.

According to officials, three armed assailants attacked a hospital in Kabul, killing 14 people, including women and children, and injuring about a dozen. Authorities say the attackers entered the hospital's maternity ward and opened fire on women and children, killing two newborns, 11 mothers and several nurses.

Meanwhile, at least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a suicide attack at the funeral prayers of a former police officer in Shiwa District, Nangarhar Province.

A day earlier, at least 18 Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban attack in Alishang District, Laghman Province.

Although the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in Laghman, Taliban spokesman Sohail Shaheen said in a statement that both attacks on Tuesday were ineffective and that today's attacks in Kabul and Nangarhar Not related

Meanwhile, the so-called Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Shiwa district of Nangarhar province on Tuesday. His confession described the attack as a suicide bombing.

After all this progress, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a short video message to the nation that he ordered the security forces to resume attacks instead of defensive operations against the Taliban.

The Afghan president said the Taliban had stepped up attacks against the wishes of the Afghan people and the Afghan government for peace and ceasefire.

Following a peace deal between the United States and the Taliban in February, the Taliban announced that it would not attack NATO and international forces, while its attacks on Afghan security forces continue. As the month of Ramadan approached, the Afghan government and the international community called for a ceasefire with the Taliban in the wake of Ramadan and the Corona epidemic, which they rejected.

In Balkh province, Afghan officials have claimed that at least 11 Taliban fighters were killed in their airstrikes, which they said were preparing to attack security forces.

However, a statement issued by the Afghan Taliban again claimed that civilians were killed in the attack. Dozens of people also protested against the incident in Balkh on Tuesday.

Taliban retaliation
Following Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's statement to strike again against the Taliban, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement to the media stating that President Ghani's government has been working with the United States and the Taliban since day one. Was against the agreement and deliberately want to sabotage the agreement.

The Taliban statement accused Afghan President Ashraf Ghani of being reluctant to release Taliban prisoners, which he said was the main reason for not starting the second phase of the Afghan peace process.

An agreement reached between the United States and the Taliban in Doha in February 2020 will release 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the Taliban 1,000 Afghan government prisoners. According to the agreement, after the release of these prisoners, inter-Afghan talks will begin, which will discuss a number of issues, including a ceasefire.

According to Sohail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, they have so far released 261 Afghan government soldiers and accused the Afghan government of providing an incomplete list of its prisoners. "The list given to us also includes the names of soldiers who have been killed in the fight against ISIS." According to Afghan officials in Kabul, more than 900 Taliban prisoners have been released so far.