News / International
Taliban announce spring offensive against US coalition
30 Apr 2011 at 16:03hrs | Views
Kabul - The Taliban on Saturday announced the beginning of their spring military offensive against the US-led coalition, a day after a new Pentagon report claimed that the militants' fighting spirit was low after sustaining heavy losses on the battlefield.
In a two-page statement, the Taliban said that beginning on Sunday they would launch attacks on military bases, convoys and Afghan officials, including members of the government's peace council, who are working to reconcile with top insurgent leaders.
"The war in our country will not come to an end unless and until the foreign invading forces pull out of Afghanistan," said the announcement released by the leadership council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is what the Taliban calls itself.
Senior officers with the US-led coalition said on Friday that the Taliban - aided by the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network - have plans to conduct a brief series of high-profile attacks, such as suicide bombings, across the country in a display of power as fighting gears up with the warmer weather.
The senior officers spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss recent intelligence that lead to the assessment.
Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, a spokesperson for the coalition, said the Taliban planned to use the spate of violence as a "propaganda ploy" to try to demonstrate their relevance and create the perception of momentum despite recent setbacks.
The Pentagon report said the insurgents' momentum had been "broadly arrested" and their morale had begun to erode.
Hundreds of insurgent leaders have been killed or captured and since last July 700 former Taliban have officially reintegrated into Afghan society and another 2 000 insurgents are in various stages of the process, the report said.
In a two-page statement, the Taliban said that beginning on Sunday they would launch attacks on military bases, convoys and Afghan officials, including members of the government's peace council, who are working to reconcile with top insurgent leaders.
"The war in our country will not come to an end unless and until the foreign invading forces pull out of Afghanistan," said the announcement released by the leadership council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is what the Taliban calls itself.
Senior officers with the US-led coalition said on Friday that the Taliban - aided by the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network - have plans to conduct a brief series of high-profile attacks, such as suicide bombings, across the country in a display of power as fighting gears up with the warmer weather.
Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, a spokesperson for the coalition, said the Taliban planned to use the spate of violence as a "propaganda ploy" to try to demonstrate their relevance and create the perception of momentum despite recent setbacks.
The Pentagon report said the insurgents' momentum had been "broadly arrested" and their morale had begun to erode.
Hundreds of insurgent leaders have been killed or captured and since last July 700 former Taliban have officially reintegrated into Afghan society and another 2 000 insurgents are in various stages of the process, the report said.
Source - AP
