Civilian casualty is on the rise as the Taliban insurgents are speeding up military campaign to make more territorial gains. In the latest series of violence, at least four people lost their lives and 24 others were wounded in explosion and mortar shelling in the southern Ghazni and northern Balkh provinces.
Nasir Ahmad Faqiri, head of Ghazni Provincial Council, said three people were killed and 21 others wounded in a mine explosion and a mortar shelling on Tuesday, August 10, in Kulah e Sabz area of PD1 in Ghazni city.
According to Faqiri, the victims were all civilians.
A provincial health authority confirmed to Kabul Now that most of the victims were taken to a provincial hospital.
Faqiri blamed the Taliban for the explosion and attack, saying that the militants fired several mortar shells in residential areas of the province during the past several nights.
The Taliban has not yet commented on the allegation.
Violence continues to cause death while the Taliban insurgents have taken control over six provincial capitals over last four days.
Local sources say that Afghan forces and people uprising forces have retreated from Aybak, the provincial capital of the northern Samangan province.
Haji Raz Mohammad, head of Samangan Provincial Capital, told Kabul Now that the forces have retreated to Dar e Kalan area.
The Taliban militants have overrun the city, taking control of provincial building and headquarter of the National Directorate of Security and police without any fight.
Aybak is the sixth provincial capital fallen to the Taliban. The militant group has overrun the cities of Sheberghan, Kunduz, Sar e Pul, Taloqan, and Zaranj during the beginning of this week.
The Taliban militants have launched a large-scale attack in the western Farah province, a security official said today, August 10.
Faruq Khalid Hazrati, the spokesperson for Farah police, told Kabul Now that fierce fighting is underway. The militants have suffered a heavy casualty, according to Mr. Hazrati.
In the meantime, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, claimed the insurgents have taken control over three security checkpoints in Farah.
Civilians are the prime victims of conflict in Afghanistan.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a total of 1,783 civilian casualties (573 killed and 1.210 wounded) in the first quarter of 2021, suggesting a 29 percent increase as compared with the same period in 2020. Afghanistan’s human rights commission recently warned that civilian casualty was on the rise.
On August 09, a civilian was killed and three others were wounded in an explosion in PD2, Mazar e Sharif, a security source in Balkh said.
Adel Shah Adel, the spokesperson for Balkh police, told Kabul Now the incident took place on Monday evening in Kefayat Square, PD2 of Mazar e Sharif.
Rights organizations are calling on warring parties to prevent civilian loss but locals in different parts of Afghanistan confirmed to the press that the Taliban militants are using civilians’ houses to shield themselves against the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
