With Afghanistan's historic presidential elections just weeks away, a battle that has broken out for control of the country's western provinces highlights how difficult it will be to provide security for the vote, analysts say.
The fighting Saturday erupted between forces loyal to military strongman Ismael Khan, the ethnic Tajik governor of the nation's most prosperous city, and militias commanded by a rival warlord.
Over 20 people have been killed so far in the conflict which pits the governor's men in Shindand and Chisti districts in Herat province against militias loyal to commander Amanullah Khan, a Pashtun.
It is unclear which side started the battle but forces from three surrounding provinces launched a combined attack on Shindand airport and its surroundings.
"We've got coalitions of forces from [the provinces of] Ghor, Badgdis, Farah, and an almost encirclement of Herat. It appears to be a co-ordinated consortium of forces," said Nick Downie, security coordinator for the Afghanistan NGO Security Office.
Sporadic fighting between local factional commanders in western Afghanistan has intensified in recent months forcing foreign aid organisations to roll back their presence in the country's west which had been considered safe.
Last month Medecins Sans Frontieres quit Afghanistan following the murder of five of their staff in Badghis province in June.
There were a number of skirmishes between militias in Ghor province last month, with an attack on a disarmament convoy aiming to demobilize local fighters in which three US soldiers were injured.
Downie said that for militias hostile to Ismael Khan to be showing their hand so close to the election, they must believe they have a chance of success.
"I think this is a point of no return for those forces. They must believe they have good chances, because they are exposing themselves," he said.
Late Saturday, President Hamid Karzai's office issued an unusually strong statement condemning the fighting and saying it was the "government's duty to prevent any kind of threats" to the country's first presidential elections on Oct. 9.
"The government will respond to the situation in Shindand and Herat Province in a firm manner and serious measures will be taken against the latest military operations," the statement said.
A senior defense ministry official told reporters that government forces would back Ismael Khan if the fighting intensified.
Around 900 people took to the streets of Herat on Saturday carrying banners reading "Death to the Central Government" and "Why Does the Central Government Not Chop Off the Hands of those Who Attack Our Peaceful City?"
Factional fighting adds to the many security problems facing Afghanistan, which is also plagued by attacks from members of the ousted Taliban regime, who have vowed to disrupt the presidential elections.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS