ZABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition officials said citizens and storeowners in Zabul province are tired of the Taliban’s presence and are taking necessary steps to disrupt their activities.
Zabul residents have reported that Taliban presence in local villages is resulting in the theft of financial and material resources of ordinary citizens.
“Taliban fighters are moving through the area and taking what they want from the bazaars here,” according to an Afghan government official in Naw Bahar district.
Local business owners said Taliban fighters use their shops in Naw Bahar as an intimidation-based logistics hub to extort money and resources. Once a precedent is established in one village, word spreads to other fighters to use similar tactics to intimidate and steal from other shopkeepers in the region.
Store owners in the district have made it clear they are concerned about the long-lasting financial impact the Taliban’s actions have on their businesses.
As a result, both local citizens and business owners began taking action to stand up to Taliban intimidation, according to Afghan and Coalition forces operating in the area. Villagers recently provided combined forces with information on improvised explosive device locations along a roadway in Zabul’s Wulgay Valley.
Upon receiving the tips, sections of the roadway were closed to protect passing motorists while Afghan National Army and Coalition forces went in to investigate. This information resulted in the destruction of three IEDs that could have harmed local Afghan citizens.
A member of the combined force who responded said only minor damage to the roadway occurred during the destruction of the IEDs. Afghan National Police and Afghan Border Police forces repaired and reopened the roadway to civilian traffic.
“It’s a great day for the people of this district, province, and Afghanistan,” said a Coalition official. “Any time you have local citizens stand up and say ‘enough is enough’ to the bully, in this case the Taliban, it says a lot about the toughness of the Afghan people. Not only does it put the Taliban on notice that people in Zabul are tired of the status quo, but it shows increased trust in the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”
Unfortunately, not every Taliban and insurgent-planted IED can be found and destroyed before it injures or kills innocent civilians or Afghan and Coalition forces.
During an operation to clear the Wulgay Valley of these three IEDs, a Coalition forces spokesperson stated an IED exploded near Zabul’s Shin Kai village killing one woman and injuring two others, one of which was a 4-year-old girl.
“Once again, the Taliban have shown their ruthless disregard for the lives of ordinary Afghan citizens,” said a Coalition forces spokesperson. “They continue to plant IEDs along roadways, district centers, schools, farms, and other locations, which are injuring and killing Afghan citizens.”
| Date Taken: |
07.29.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
07.31.2010 01:16 |
| Story ID: |
53727 |
| Location: |
ZABUL PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: |
186 |
| Downloads: |
138 |
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