MPs raise alarm over deteriorating security

KABUL (Tolo News): Lawmakers from Logar province in Afghanistan’s parliament raised grave concerns over what they described as deteriorating security in the province. MPs warned that the fragile security situation in Logar could have serious implications on the security of Kabul if substantial actions weren’t taken to fix the lack of security in Logar.

However, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has said that the Afghan security forces are fully prepared to address the security threats in neighboring provinces of Kabul. Concerns over security threats in Logar come weeks after the province sustained a series of targeted killings of civilians and military personnel in the area.

At least ten people have been killed over the past two days in the provincial capital Pul-e-Alam and on the Kabul-Logar highway. “Over the past two days, the head of the economic department, a bank manager and two other our powerful military personnel and six members of the National Directorate of Security were killed, the situation is deteriorating day by day,” said Haseebullah Stanekzai, the head of the Logar provincial council. “No one is there to respond, no one is there to inquire about our plights, what are our faults,” said a resident in Logar, Mir Afghan.

“Three people were wounded yesterday, one was martyred, no one is there to respond,” said Haji Mirza, a resident in Logar. Meanwhile, a number of residents in Logar have said that weakness and poor leadership of the local administration have been among the key factors that have led to the worsening security situation in the province.

“The situation in Logar has worsened, local officials have failed to secure even Pul-e-Alam city, the center of Logar province,” said Mohammad Akbar Stanekzai, the deputy head of senate. “The security and defense forces of the country are fully ready to maintain security in Kabul and in the neighboring provinces,” said Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.

In the northern province of Badakhshan, at least ten members of the public uprising forces were killed in a Taliban attack in Jurm district. In Parwan province, at least four people–among them a local government employee–were killed in attacks by unidentified gunmen. “We had six casualties among the public uprising forces, 4 injuries were also reported,” said MP Zia Yaftali.