Kapisa Residents Take Fight to the Taliban

Dozens of eastern Kapisa province residents started an uprising against the Taliban in their local areas to drive them out after the militants threatened schools and other public services in the province.

The residents of Kapisa's Nijrab district said that they took up arms against the Taliban in order to reopen schools, clinics, and resume other social activities which were being stopped by their threats.

A resident of Nijrab told TOLOnews: "We don't want the Taliban insurgents in the district. We want to drive them out. They are threatening the residents and want to make the district insecure."

Another resident said: "We want peace in our district and Afghanistan. Every day, dozens of residents join with us and the tribe elders also help us in the uprising."

One resident said that the President, Hamid Karzai, did not care about the province and security was diminishing each day, to the concern of the people.

"We don't want the insurgents placing roadside bombs and being active in the district. If they do not leave the province, they will face the reaction of the people," he added.

In Nangarhar last week residents of Shigal and Dangam districts called on the Taliban insurgents to leave. The tribal elders had a meeting with residents and the decision was made to fight back. The warning was given by the elders that "if the insurgents do not leave the district, we will take up arms and launch an uprising against them."

Ordinary civilians fighting back against the militant Islamists was first reported in eastern Ghazni province in June. Since then it has continued to be reported in several parts of Afghanistan, including, Faryab and Laghman.

It comes as Afghan lawmakers recently raised concerns over the rise of "illegal" militia, and also whether another militant group Hezb-i-Islami is taking advantage of the uprisings in villages to wrest power from the Taliban.

They called for the government to closely monitor these situations in order to prevent other groups from gaining power in the upheaval.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) has said that they will monitor the uprisings and prevent any enemy infiltration but rejected any suggestion of Hezb-i-Islami's involvement saying that people are tired of their cruelty and will never fight in favor of them.

Written by TOLOnews.com 
Tuesday, 04 September 2012 13:00

Posted in: Afghanistan, Ghazni Province, Hezbi Islami, Kapisa Province, National Directorate of Security, Taliban