Dawa Khan Menapal, the director of Afghanistan”s Authorities Media and Data Centre, was killed by the Taliban within the capital Kabul on Friday.
Menapal’s demise is the newest killing of a authorities official simply days after an assassination try on the nation’s performing defence minister.
The Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the killing to the Related Press.
The assassination occurred throughout weekly Friday prayers, in line with the Inside Ministry’s deputy spokesman, Stated Hamid Rushan. After the taking pictures, Afghan forces fanned out throughout the neighbourhood of Kabul the place Menapal was gunned down whereas using in his automobile.
Mujahid later put out an announcement claiming duty and stated that Menapal “was killed in a particular assault.”
The Taliban usually goal authorities officers and people they understand as working for the federal government or international forces, although a number of latest assaults have been claimed by the Islamic State. The federal government most frequently holds the Taliban accountable.
Earlier this week, a Taliban bombing focused Afghanistan’s performing defence minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. The assault in a closely guarded upscale Kabul neighbourhood late Tuesday killed no less than eight folks and wounded 20. The minister was unhurt.
The bombing was adopted by a gun battle that additionally killed 4 Taliban fighters. The militants stated the assault was to avenge Taliban fighters killed throughout authorities offensives in rural provinces.
Menapal’s slaying comes amid Taliban advances and battles for extra territory as American and NATO forces full their remaining pullout from Afghanistan by the top of the month.
The Taliban have been waging fierce battles for months throughout the nation, laying siege to provincial capitals within the south and west after capturing district after district and even seizing a number of key border crossings.
Taliban make good points
Additionally on Friday, in southern Nimroz province, the capital of Zaranj gave the impression to be the primary provincial capital to fall to the Taliban, although the federal government claimed there was nonetheless fierce preventing round key infrastructure within the metropolis.
However the Taliban posted photos on social media exhibiting insurgents contained in the native airport and posing for images on the entrance to town.
Nimroz is sparsely populated in a area that is primarily desert and Zaranj has about 50,000 residents. Its fall to the Taliban, if confirmed, was a principally symbolic victory for the insurgents.
In the meantime, Afghan and American aircrafts pounded Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province on Friday, because the insurgents closed a serious border crossing with neighbouring Pakistan.
Residents in Helmand’s contested provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, stated airstrikes destroyed a market within the centre of town — an space managed by the Taliban. Afghan officers say the Taliban now management 9 out of the ten districts of town.
Afghanistan’s elite commandos have deployed to Lashkar Gah, backed up by airstrikes by the Afghan and American air forces.
The Taliban started sweeping throughout Afghanistan at an sudden velocity after the US and NATO started their remaining pullout in late April.
Inhabitants suffers
The bitter preventing has displaced tons of of hundreds of Afghans, now dwelling in depressing circumstances in improvised shelters and makeshift camps. Contained in the cities the place preventing is underway, hundreds are trapped and unable to maneuver from their houses.
Within the southern metropolis of Kandahar, the capital of the province with the identical identify, tons of are sheltering in makeshift camps, questioning the place they’ll get meals for his or her kids.
Within the Helmand capital of Lashkar Gah, the shuttered workplace of Motion In opposition to Starvation, a world humanitarian organisation, was hit in an air strike on Thursday, the group stated in an announcement. Preventing had pressured the organisation to shut its workplace final week.
Greater than half of Afghanistan’s 421 districts and district centres are actually in Taliban arms. Whereas most of the districts are in distant areas, some are deeply strategic, giving the Taliban management of profitable border crossings with Iran, Tajikistan and Pakistan.
Battle with Pakistan
In southeastern Afghanistan, the Taliban final month took management of the city of Spin Boldak on the border with Pakistan, one in every of Afghanistan’s busiest border crossings. 1000’s of Afghans and Pakistanis cross every day and a gradual stream of vehicles passes by way of, bringing items to land-locked Afghanistan from the Arabian Sea port metropolis of Karachi in Pakistan.
The Taliban shuttered the crossing Friday over a visa dispute, claiming Pakistan was abiding by Kabul authorities necessities for Afghans travelling into Pakistan to have a passport and a Pakistan visa. Beforehand, journey paperwork had been hardly ever demanded and Afghans with native ID playing cards may cross into Pakistan.
“The border will keep closed till Pakistan permits all Afghans to cross on the bases of our previous process,” stated the Taliban assertion.
On the border, merchants stated about 1,500 folks had been ready on either side Friday to go by way of. Greater than 600 vehicles, many loaded with perishable contemporary meals, had been backed up in each nations.
Islamabad’s relationship with Kabul has been deeply troubled with either side accusing one another of harbouring militants. Afghan Taliban leaders stay in Pakistan and Kabul is bitterly crucial of Pakistan for aiding them and treating their fighters in hospitals in Pakistan.
Islamabad in the meantime fees that Kabul offers a secure haven to the Pakistani Taliban, a separate militant group that usually phases assaults in Pakistan.
