Residents of the Herat city on Monday night, in a show of revolt against the Taliban, marched on the streets chanting Allahu Akbar, and announcing their support to the government forces, vowed to defend the province.
They celebrated the advances of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in their fight against the Taliban in southern parts of the city. Monday was the sixth day of intense fighting in Herat.
The move was widely welcomed by the Afghans across the country who created a hashtag of “Herat uprising” and “Allahu Akbar,” announcing their support to the Heratis.
Kabul residents took to social media and asked for a similar act in Kabul on Tuesday night.
First Vice President Amrullah Saleh also welcomed the move and said it was the day he was waiting for and that he is thrilled by this act.
Herat governor General Abdul Saboor Qani, who has served in the leadership role of the country’s security agencies, on Tuesday said the security forces in the province have air support.
A large-scale military operation has started to clear the province of Taliban, he added.
On Monday, former mujahedeen leader and senior member of the Jamiat-e-Islami party Mohammad Ismail Khan, who is leading public uprising forces in the fight against the Taliban, asked Heratis to mobilise against the Taliban and assured them that the city would be defended.
Clashes were reported between the security forces and the Taliban in southern parts of Herat on Monday, in a distance of at least 2 kilometers from the center of the city.
This comes as three civilians were killed and 10 were wounded in an explosion in the city on Monday evening, health officials said.
According to security sources, the blast targeted a bus carrying civilians, and women are among the victims.
HELMAND FIGHTING: A senior Afghan commander has urged civilians to evacuate Helmand province’s besieged capital of Lashkar Gah, ahead of an army offensive against the Taliban.
According to the UN, at least 40 civilians have been killed in the last 24 hours in Lashkar Gah.
Lashkar Gah in southern Helmand province is under heavy assault from the militants, despite the persistent US and Afghan airstrikes.
The Taliban are said to have seized a TV station. Thousands of people fleeing rural areas took shelter in buildings.
Hundreds of Afghan reinforcements have been deployed to battle the militants.
Helmand was the centerpiece of the US and British military campaign, and Taliban gains there would be a blow for the Afghan government.
“TALIBAN MAY HAVE COMMITTED WAR CRIMES”: The US and British embassies in Kabul said on Monday the insurgent Taliban may have committed war crimes in southern Afghanistan by carrying out revenge murders of civilians, a charge denied by the insurgents.
Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban negotiating team member based in Doha, told Reuters that tweets containing the accusations were “baseless reports”.
The US Embassy in the capital Kabul tweeted a statement accusing the Taliban of killing dozens of civilians in the area of Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province. The statement was also tweeted by the British embassy.
“These murders could constitute war crimes; they must be investigated & those Taliban fighters or commanders responsible held accountable,” the US Embassy tweeted.
In a second tweet, it said: “The Taliban’s leadership must be held responsible for the crimes of their fighters. If you cannot control your fighters now, you have no business in governance later.”
The US and British embassies in Kabul said on Monday the insurgent Taliban may have committed war crimes in southern Afghanistan by carrying out revenge murders of civilians, a charge denied by the insurgents.
Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban negotiating team member based in Doha, told Reuters that tweets containing the accusations were “baseless reports”.
The US Embassy in the capital Kabul tweeted a statement accusing the Taliban of killing dozens of civilians in the area of Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province. The statement was also tweeted by the British embassy.
“These murders could constitute war crimes; they must be investigated & those Taliban fighters or commanders responsible held accountable,” the US Embassy tweeted.
In a second tweet, it said: “The Taliban’s leadership must be held responsible for the crimes of their fighters. If you cannot control your fighters now, you have no business in governance later.”
