MPs seek deployment of reinforcements to frontlines

KABUL (Tolo News): The centers of two districts in northern and northeastern Afghanistan have fallen to the Taliban, two lawmakers said, urging the Ministry of Defense to send reinforcements to the provinces to repel a possible collapse of some strategic areas to militants.
So far, sources and officials have confirmed that the centers of at least 17 districts have fallen to militants over the last two months. According to two MPs, the centers of Ishkamish district in Takhar and Sozma Qala district in Sar-e-Pul fell to the Taliban. The centers of Burka district in Baghlan, Narkh, and Jalrez districts in Maidan Wardak, Dawlat Shah district in Laghman, Qaisar district in Faryab, Shahrak district in Ghor, and Shirzad district in Uruzgan have fallen to the Taliban in less than two months.
The Taliban claims they have also captured Charkh district in Logar, Do Ab, and Mandol districts in Nuristan, Farsi district in Herat, Deh Yak district in Ghazni, Gezab district in Daikundi, and Shinkai district in Zabul. “It was the Worsaj district, then Farkhar and Chah Ab, and ultimately, Ishkamish fell to militants and now the enemy is trying to divert its offensives on Bangi district,” said Amir Mohammad Khaksar, MP from Takhar.
“The (Qala-e-Naw) city is under the threat by Taliban. In Sozma Qala district, only district building and two check posts have remained, but according to our information, the center of the district has fallen (to militants),” said Sayed Hayatullah Alimi, MP from Sar-e-Pul. A lawmaker from Badghis province in southwest Afghanistan said fighting between government forces and the Taliban has inched closer to the outskirts of Qala-e-Naw, the province’s center. Badghis MPs also asked for additional troops deployed to the province to repel the threats.
Taliban also launched attacks on several fronts in Nimroz and Badakhshan provinces. “We have lost several parts of Arghanjkhwah district in Badakhshan. The problem will get worse if the government does not take action regarding the issue,” said Hujjatullah Farahmand, MP from Badakhshan. “The enemy launched a major offensive on Khashrod district in Nimroz to capture the district,” said Gul Ahmad Noorzad, an MP from Nimroz.
But the Afghan security authorities said the government forces have inflicted massive casualties to the Taliban in the past 24 hours. “Heavy casualties were inflected (to Taliban) in Pashtun Kot and Qaisar districts in Faryab, Sozma Qala district in Sar-e-Pul as well as in Uruzgan and Baghlan provinces,” the Defense Ministry spokesman Rohullah Ahmadzai said. In a statement, the 209 Shaheen Army Corps assured the residents of Sar-e-Pul and Takhar that all districts in the two provinces will be protected against threats from militants.