Following Taliban’s coordinated attacks on Ghazni city, the Kabul-Kandahar highway witnessed numerous clashes between the militants and security forces as convoys tried to reach the embattled city over the past four days.  

Soldiers said this was one of their war tactics - to ambush military convoys carrying reinforcement troops.

As these convoys headed for Ghazni, they were ambushed many times – which in turn delayed their arrival in the city. 

“The ambushes that we passed were very dangerous. So far we have never had to deal with so many,” one soldier said.

TOLOnew’s reporter Abdulhaq Omeri was the only journalist to make it to Ghazni on Monday – he traveled in one of these military convoys.

Omeri said it took them 24 hours to get from Wardak to Ghazni city. Under normal circumstances the drive is only one hour. 

According to Omeri, their convoy came under attack 17 times between Wardak province and Ghazni city. 

“Taliban has planted mines on the main road and the convoy has to use alternate, unpaved roads. (So far) we have gotten through six or seven ambushes,” said Omeri on Sunday while still heading to Ghazni. 

The Taliban used the same tactic in Kunduz when the group ambushed military convoys in a bid to slow them down.  

Although the battle for Ghazni has ended, except for clearing operations, the main route to the city, the Kabul-Kandahar highway, is still extremely insecure.