Afghans rally to support national security forces against Taliban

Thousands of Afghans including men and women staged a peaceful demonstration in Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday to express their support for the country's national security forces against Taliban and like-minded extremist groups.

Chanting anti-Taliban slogans like "death to Taliban", "death to Fascists" and "death to terrorists", the demonstrators announced "we support the national security forces" in the war against Taliban terrorism.

The demonstration took place in the wake of the fall of the northern Kunduz city to the Taliban militants on Monday.

The protestors, however, accused certain circles within the government of supporting Taliban militants to capture Kunduz city and fuel insurgency in the country.

"Our demand from the president is to identify and sack the fifth column from within the government," the protestors said, adding numerous Taliban elements or their supporters have high positions in government and attacking from backside to hurt the nation.

Many Afghans including some parliamentarians have earlier accused Kunduz provincial governor Mohammad Omar Safi of secretly backing Taliban militants to capture Kunduz.

Omar Safi, who was out of Kunduz on the day of Kunduz collapse on Monday, was sacked by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Thursday. Endi