KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local sources in Kunar province say the Taliban have forced residents to participate in a protest march against Pakistan.
According to the sources, the rally was held on Saturday (March 7) in Asadabad, the provincial capital of Kunar.
Sources said the Taliban had instructed each tribal elder in the province to bring at least five people with them to take part in the protest.
Earlier, local sources in Nangarhar also reported that Taliban authorities had compelled residents to attend a similar demonstration against Pakistan.
According to those sources, tribal elders in Nangarhar were asked to bring 20 people each to the gathering.
Participants were reportedly paid 1,000 Afghanis per person.
In recent days, the Taliban have reported a number of public gatherings across different provinces, describing them as demonstrations of support for the group and protests against Pakistan.
The protests come as clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan have entered their second week and continue to escalate.
Meanwhile, yesterday Taliban officials said that Pakistani forces had carried out attacks in several Afghan provinces over the past 24 hours.
Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, said the attacks targeted parts of Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Kunar, leaving at least four civilians dead and three others injured. He also claimed that dozens of homes, shops, markets and a mosque were destroyed, and more than 100 families were displaced.
Pakistan has not yet commented on the claims.
Fighting between the Taliban and Pakistan has now entered its second week. During this period, Pakistan has carried out air and rocket strikes in several areas of Afghanistan.
Taliban officials say dozens of residential homes have been destroyed and civilians have suffered heavy losses as a result of the attacks.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported that Pakistani attacks on Afghanistan have left 185 civilians killed or wounded, while thousands of families have been displaced.
The latest clashes began on 27 February after the Taliban launched a retaliatory operation against Pakistani positions following earlier Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar and Paktika. Pakistan has since conducted additional airstrikes while cross-border fighting continues. Both sides claim to have inflicted heavy losses, though independent verification of military casualties is unavailable.
