Summary Afghan forces never pursued us before but trouble us now pursuing Pakistan Taliban, Commander says
PESHAWAR: (Reuters, Dunya News) – Afghan Taliban of Kunhar have rebelled against the Pakistan Taliban hiding in their province. Now Pakistani Taliban, hiding in Afghanistan, have to face this rebellion from Afghan Taliban and the American drones at the same time. One Afghan Taliban commander said that they were never pursued by the Afghan forces and the drones previously but since the arrival of Pakistani Taliban in their areas, Afghan forces have started to trouble them.
This situation has affected Pakistan Taliban’s ability to carry out attacks in Pakistan. Taliban commanders fighting Pakistan have been hiding in Eastern Afghanistan for many years and controlling terrorists’ activities in Pakistan from here. According to officials, repeated drone attacks during the last few weeks in Eastern Afghanistan and Afghan Taliban’s rebellion against Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan’s Kunhar province have weakened the terrorist outfit.
Four Taliban commanders told Reuters that tensions with the local tribes and drone attacks in Kunhar province have forced them to move to mountainous frontier region. Two of these commanders told that they barely escaped a drone attack last month. One commander told that a drone strike was carried out on November 24 at a house where Taliban commander Mullah Fazalullah had stayed. “Two commanders died in that attack”, he told.
Governor of Afghan province Nangarhaar told that a Pakistani Taliban commander and 7 others died in a drone attack on Monday. Head of the think-tanks keeping record of drone attacks Matthew Henman told that American drone strikes in Afghanistan have increased recently. He said that 30 out of the total 56 drone attacks in 2014 were carried out after September. He said that the relations between Afghan Taliban of Kunhar and Pakistani Taliban have become quite strained during the past few months.
Afghan forces are trying to take maximum advantage of the tensions between Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban. According to Governor Kunhar Shuja ul Mulk Jalala, a rebellion started 11 days ago in which Afghan police and a unit of army joined hands with the local tribal leaders to launch an operation against Pakistani Taliban. Governor told that the villagers were being harassed by the Pakistani Taliban and they were also concerned about their attacks on the forces.
Governor Shuja told that the villagers did not differentiate on the basis of good and bad Taliban. “They have decided to kick them out of their area”, he said. A Taliban commander in mountainous regions of Pak-Afghan border told that Afghan forces have recently arrested several Taliban. “Afghan forces previously used to hesitate while breaking into our areas. They would even send us food at times. The same Afghan forces are creating problems for us now”, the Taliban commander said.
