A number of military experts on Thursday criticized security agencies and accused them of being weak leaders and lacking intelligence capacities on the back of the steadily rising death toll among security forces - particularly in Kandahar.
More than 100 soldiers have been killed in Taliban attacks on security installations in Kandahar alone in the last month. In addition, at least 90 soldiers have been wounded in the attacks.
Military experts said the lack of intelligence-gathering abilities has led to insurgents being able to carry out attacks on military bases.
“We will be able to foil these attacks also other attacks and plans of the enemy if we have a strong intelligence (unit) and if we improve ways to infiltrate the enemy (structures),” said Mohammad Gul Mujahid, a former military officer.
Kandahar, a relatively secure province in the south, has been hard hit by numerous Taliban attacks over the past month.
The Defense Ministry said more than 2,000 Taliban fighters attacked the Qarz Ali Military Base in Khakrez district in Kandahar on Wednesday where 28 soldiers were killed and 30 others were wounded.
“This is a new tactic; terrorists are trying to create threats to check posts,” said Mohammad Radmanish, spokesman for the Ministry of Defense.
He admitted however that they had received intelligence ahead of the planned Taliban attack on the Qarz Ali Military Base.
“Some problems and threats result in the martyrdom of our personnel but it is important that we have sent a fact-finding team to the corps center in order to complete its report in this respect,” he said.
Commenting on the recent Taliban attacks in Kandahar, provincial council member Sayed Ahmad Selab said: “Unfortunately, casualties are high. In one attack 20, in another 15 and in another 17 and meanwhile in the latest attack (on Qarz Ali Military Base in Kandahar) at least 70 people were killed and wounded.”
“There is no leadership in the center firstly and secondly (no leadership) in the army corps,” said Attaullah Attaee, another member of the council.
Meanwhile, the CEO Abdullah Abdullah said at a meeting that the insurgents had also sustained a high casualty toll in battles against government forces.
“The enemy also has had casualties and their plots have been foiled in many areas,” he said.