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Afghan Interior Minister visits Badakhshan, military operations in offing

Xinhua, April 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

In the wake of overrunning several checkpoints and killing some two dozen security personnel by the hardliner Taliban militants in Jarm district of the northern Badakhshan province week ago, the Afghan Interior Minister Noorul Haq Olumi visited the restive province on Thursday and inspected the situation there, a statement of Interior Ministry released here Friday said.

Accompanied by senior police and army officials including the deputy to chief of army staff General Murad Ali Murad, the interior minister Olumi after holding meeting with local officials and reviewing the security situation issued directive to security forces based in Badakhshan to eliminate the terrorists and all those involved in killing security personnel in Jarm district, according to the interior ministry statement.

At least 22 security personnel had been killed, some 10 of them beheaded by Taliban militants after security forces' checkpoints were stormed in Jarm district last Friday.

Afghans from all walks of life have been annoyed by the killing and beheading of some two dozen security personnel by Taliban militants and central government's failure to dispatch reinforcement on time to protect the lives of soldiers there, and even demanded the trail of those at the helm of security apparatus.

"Units of security forces would continue to stand alongside the people and won't allow anyone to disrupt peace and security in Badakhshan province," Interior Minister Olumi assured Badakhshan residents in meeting with the elders of the province, the statement added.

Meanwhile, a senior Afghan Defense Ministry official General Afzal Aman, according to local media reports, has said that major operations against militants would soon be launched in Badakhshan.

However, he didn't reveal the date set for the operations, warning overlooking terrorist activities in Badakhshan province would destabilize other parts of the country. Endi