Security force members, government officials and employees of non-government institutions said they wait for weeks and sometimes for months to travel to the east and southeastern provinces by military aircrafts.
They call it a ‘risky journey’. People can travel by road to Paktia province but they should join a military convoy visit Paktika province.
Some of them take the risk and travel to the province on their own through the Kabul-Gardez highway.
TOLOnews reporter Tamim Hamid and his team travelled to Logar, Paktia and Paktika provinces and from there to Ghazni and Maidan Wardak provinces by road in a military convoy.
Hamid said he travelled in a military Humvee along with seven others while the vehicle has the capacity of five people.
He said the military convoys drive at least 45 minutes in less-governed areas to get from Gardez city to Paktika.
According to him, people can travel with civilian vehicles to Gardez city in Paktia but the Paktia-Paktika highway cannot be passed without a military convoy.
Hamid said they went to Paktika province with the help of the police chief of Paktia’s PD1 police headquarters through Zurmat district.
The footage from two sides of the risky highway shows that the roads are damaged but the beautiful image from the area catches people’s eyes.
“When we travel in convoys we are sometimes attacked during nights and heavy clashes occur. And security force members are killed and wounded,” said Tahammul Shirzad, the police chief of Paktikals PD1 police headquarters.
“We have been informed from Kabul not to travel to Paktika with private vehicles, because Taliban and other terrorist groups often carry out attacks on the highway ambuscade,” said Rozuddin Istanikzia, the head of Paktika’s anti-terrorism unit.
During the travel before reaching to Chardewar area of Andar district of Ghazni province another convoy of army joined them and counited their trip to Paktika.
“Early morning today an improvised explosive device (IED) was placed and detonated and after the blast the insurgents attacked and we fought against them for (few) hours,” said Ramanullah, an army soldier in Ghazni.
The TOLOnews team was accompanied by different military convoys during their journey which started in Paktia and ended in Maidan Wardak province while driving on insecure highways.