KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Residents of Kunduz expressed their concerns over fast-growing insecurity amid heavy presence of armed rebels including foreign and local miscreants in parts of the province while security officials said law and order of the province was excellent.
Recently, residents in Dasht-i-Archi, Chardara and Qala-i-Zal districts expressed concerns over reemergence of Taliban miscreants who demanded the government should work out strategy to purge the area of anti-state elements by launching a decisive military operation.
Wishing not to be named, a tribal elder from Chardara district said: “Since three or four months back, Taliban had started reappearing and roaming in the area brandishing their weapons and terrorizing the locals. He said their confrontation with the security forces were hampering development activities in parts of the province. The Taliban remnants had their presence in Nahr Sufi, Eisa Khil, Ratl Aam, Ain Almajr, Dobandi, Now Abad localities with heir number increasing on daily basis.
As many as 150 to 200 Taliban came to Archi from other places which created concerns among residents, Saifuddin, a resident of Dasht-i-Archi district said.
Sayed Sarwar Hussaini, police department’s media officer of Kunduz said, security had been made tightened in provincial capital and all six districts. “As soon as we receive information about Taliban presence, we take immediate action to eliminate them through military operation,” he added.
Provincial authorities said insurgents from Chechen, Uzbekistan Islamic Movement and Pakistan had been fighting against government while a number of them were killed in a joint ISAF and Afghan forces military operation in Chardara, Khan Abad and Imam Sahib Districts recently.
Taliban also confirmed Uzbek militants’ presence in the area as their leader Tahir Yuldash was killed in a drone attack in North Waziristan four years back.
Sheikh Sadruddin, head of Archi District said tens of militants came recently to Kunduz from Pakistan with their beards shaved hailing from Kandahar and Kunduz. One of them Ahmadullah was killed in joint military operation.
 
Hazrat Ali, a resident of Kunduz city said armed militants and miscreants could be seen everywhere, a stark reminder of the past civil war. He said militants were harassing people and forcing them to fight against their rival party.
 
Haji Abdul Rasool, a shopkeeper in Kunduz said Arbakis were roaming in the city for months and there was none to flush them out of the area. “If the situation remains unchanged then people will lose their trust in the security forces,” he added.
 
Residents said armed groups were harassing common civilians. Mohammad Arif, a shopkeeper said three days back, armed people looted and plundered his neighboring shop during the evening prayers. They entered to the shop by force and looted him on gun point.
 
However, security officials said security had been controlled and they had a check on the moments of armed individuals. Colonel Ibadullah Talwar, head of National Security Directorate (NDS) in Kunduz said chaos had been created by armed men not only in Kunduz but there were armed groups in most parts of the province.
 
With the deployment of Local Police force in Kunduz, the moment of armed groups could be controlled to great extent, he added.
Security officials said currently there were more than 2,000 armed individuals in Khan Abad district which was a great security threat.  Last month, local officials said moment of the armed militants was stopped after the deployment of 300 local police force.
It merits mention that Khan Abad is the only district that is not included in security transition process from ISAF to Afghan forces, while transition in Kunduz was completed in 2012.
An illegal armed group last year fired on civilians in Kunduz city resulted in the killing of 10 people and injuring seven others. Provincial governor had said they appointed an investigation team to assess the situation and to punish the perpetrator. Few months back a teenager girl was raped by illegal armed group while her father was beaten up and the girl was taken away.
Residents said armed men such as as Arbakis were harassing men and women and throwing acids on girls’ faces. Few months back illegal armed men broke into a house and threw acids on girls’ students faces.
“Armed men forced a girl of a local family to marry of their colleague but the situations were calm down and the girl was later married within her relatives,” he added.
Residents said armed men used to forcefully take mobile phones and money from the locals and forced them to leave their residences where armed groups had now established their military bases.
 
Arbaki (ALP) is referred to a tribal force taking part in maintaining security without pay in their respective localities but now it is unofficial force equipped by the government against its armed opponents. But provincial officials said there was no Arbaki (ALP) and it is illegal armed groups who create problems who would be disarmed soon.