Tarinkot (PNA): People of Urozgan complain of fast-spreading security elsewhere in the province despite the deployment of Afghan Local Police (ALP).
The people of Tarinkot city and other districts demand of the government to launch a decisive move to flush out the armed and militant groups to ensure security in the area.
Hailing from Charchino district, Haji Ibrahim told Pajhwok Afghan News that his locality is in grip of deteriorated law and order and insecurity. “Taliban openly roam brandishing weapons and travel without any fear of government,” he informed.
The pulling out of foreign troops from the province led the area to a state of uncertainty, lawlessness and insecurity, he said, adding that Afghan security forces are potentially weak who are needed to provide with advanced weapons.
Mohammad Qasim, a resident of Dahrawood district said that a matter of concern is sharp rise in targeted killings, which sent waves of fear among residents.
“Only last month, five tragic incidents of targeted killings took place. The tragedy is that unidentified gunmen escape unhurt after every targeted attack. Police have taken no step to prevent these kinds of attacks or arrest the killers,” he remarked.
Another major problem, which needs urgent attention to be tackled, is that convoys of security forces and public transport often come under Taliban’s planted Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Dahrawood- Tarinkot road.
During their initial deployment, he said the ALP was playing an active role to discourage anti-state and social elements but currently the ALP officials are engaged in personal rivalries among themselves, which provide ground for Taliban to intensify their activities.
“Forces regained Gizab district three years back from the Taliban but now militants’ activities have intensified amid fear that the district can fall again to Taliban. The militants start convincing people to fight back in their favour,” said Ali Jan, a resident of the restive district.
He said that the government is aware about the deteriorated state of affairs but seems reluctant to take measures to improve the situation.
He warned the delaying tactics by the government to take on the Taliban would cost the district to fall again into the control of Taliban.
“With the start of the summer season, Taliban activities saw greater intensity elsewhere in the province. The militants even stage attacks in a broad-day light,” said an unidentified resident of Tarinkot.
Abdul Bari, a resident of Sar Marghab area in Tarinkot said earlier he used to travel for miles, adding however, nowadays he could not travel to far-flung areas because of insecurity.
Sayed Ahmad, another resident of Tarinkot says: “There is no security in the city. People are unable to travel freely because of lawlessness. The area is in grip of militants’ attacks, targeted killings and bombing blasts.”
Sayed questioned that at a time when the capital of the province is not secure, what would be the state of other provinces?
Habibullah, a resident of the city said that insecurity is spreading to other parts of the area with the government has turned blind eye to control the situation.
Urozgan security officials admitted lapses in security and increasing lawlessness in the province but held out assurances that security forces are committed to ensure peace in the province and discourage militancy.
Samoonyar Mohammad Aslam, police security chief of Urozgan province told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Selected operations have been launched in different districts of the province, which help in bringing stability to the province”.
In addition to Charchio, operations are underway in other districts of the province in which the security forces inflict heavy casualties on militant groups.
He went on to say that ALP has been deployed in the aeras in an apparent attempt to clear the areas of miscreants.
The ALP is playing an active role to maintain law and order and improve the security, he said, adding that security has considerably improved in the aera.