GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): The Taliban have blocked the Kabul-Kandahar highway in Asfandi and Shahbaz areas on the outskirts of Ghazni City, residents said on Monday.
Provincial council member, Hassan Rezaee told Pajhwok Afghan News the militants closed the highway in Asfandi area at 6am. Security forces have not yet reached the neighbourhood to reopen the road.
The rebels had warned inhabitants of Qarabagh district not to come out of their homes, the public representative said.
Noorullah, a resident of Ghazni City who left for Kandahar in the morning, was stopped along with other passengers by the insurgents in Shahbaz area.
Hundreds of the guerrillas had gathered to intercept a large number of vehicles on both side of roads, but there was no sign of the presence of security forces in the locality, he claimed.
A resident of Andar district said: “We were going to Ghazni City but the Taliban stopped us on our way. They told us to inform our relatives in the city to leave because they wanted to attack the city.”
He confirmed the fighters in Asfandi, Noghi, Khashak, Nanai, Lewan and Niazi areas of Ghazni City did not allow people to commute.
Residents of the provincial capital, where most of shops were closed, expressed concern at the situation. But local officials refused to comment on the issue.
Acting Governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi said: “I was told by the governor not to talk to media.” Journalists accused the governor of ordering local officials not to share information with them.
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