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Feature: Afghans still suffering at hands of militants 15 years after U.S.-led war on terror

Xinhua, October 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Fifteen years have passed since the costly U.S.-led war on terror in Afghanistan and the ousting of the hardliner Taliban regime, but insurgency and conflicts are continuing to have a devastating impact on ordinary Afghan lives.

"It is the 15th anniversary of the U.S.-led war against the Taliban and other terrorist groups, but people are still suffering from clashes and bombings, Farid Ahmad, 33, a resident of Kabul city, told Xinhua Friday

"You know, security is an essential part of daily life, but Afghans are suffering from suicide bombings, targeted killings in cities, while villagers die frequently and are injured by insurgents' attacks in the countryside," Ahmad explained.

He went on to elucidate how Afghan troops backed by foreign forces regularly target militants across the country, but highlighted the fact that terrorists are still active and kill innocent people almost every day. "The war on terror has failed to root out terrorism," he maintained.

The U.S. military's ground and air campaign began on October 7, 2001 and the Taliban regime collapsed within a month across Afghanistan.

To win the war on terror and to ensure lasting peace and stability in the central Asian country, the U.S.-led NATO forces had deployed more than 140,000 troops in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

However, the foreign forces completed their combat mission by the end of 2014, after years of high-profile military presence in the country.

But some 13,000 foreign forces remain stationed in Afghanistan for the NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission to help Afghan forces in the fields of training, advising and backing them in the war against insurgents.

"The security situation in remote districts has remained tense over the past two years," Ahmad said.

The Taliban have been on the rampage since they launched their so-called annual spring offensive in mid-April in different places in Afghanistan, including Kabul, killing and injuring hundreds.

On Monday, Taliban militants in a surprise move entered the northern Kunduz city, the capital of the strategically important Kunduz province, along the border with Tajikistan.

Kunduz city was briefly captured by the Taliban last September, leaving several people dead and more than 2,000 civilians and security forces injured.

"The Taliban seized Kunduz city one year ago, they kill people and destroy government offices. This time, Afghan troops and NATO-led forces failed to defend the city," Ahmad stated, adding that citizens such as himself were particularly angry with government's failure to swiftly respond and stop the Taliban entering Kunduz city.

"The northern Afghan region used to be the breadbasket of Afghanistan in past. Now people in Kunduz are suffering from a shortage of food and the city's residents are hungry. They have had no food, water or power supply since Monday. City residents are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, but no one seems to care," Ahmad said.

However, Khoja Waheed, 39, another Kabul resident, maintains a different perspective.

"The Taliban ousting and the emergence of the new government in late 2001 have become the new bedrock of the country. We have witnessed ups and downs during the past 15 years, but there have been great achievements and the government and its international backers have made significant gains," Waheed said.

"If you look around Kabul city, you will find high-rise buildings. They had been built over the past 15 years. Many people have changed their muddy houses to modern villas across the country during this time," he said.

"After the fall of the Taliban, Afghans have seen a boom in business and the lives of ordinary people have changed a lot. Women, once confined to their homes during the Taliban's reign, could enjoy more freedom. They can now go to schools and universities. They can also work in the government," he added.

More than 1,600 civilians were killed and more than 3,560 injured in the first half of the year as the violence spread in different places of the country, according to a report by the UN mission in Afghanistan released in late July.

"The current situation, however, is falling short of people's expectation. The war and insurgency will continue and Afghans will further suffer at the hands of militants and terrorist groups," Ahmad said. Endit