Taliban talks of new "spring offensive"

KABUL, March 26: Taliban militants have warned of a massive spring offensive this fall in the southern and southeastern parts of Afghanistan, a statement published on the Taliban web-site said on Wednesday.
Quoting their leader Mullah Biradar, the statement said they were going to launch a massive spring offensive against the Afghan and foreign troops in the war-battered country in the coming few months.
Mullah Biradar also warned all those Afghans working with the government or the foreign troops to avoid employment of "Kafirs" or infidels. The statement said the Taliban struggle would continue till the overthrow of President Karzai's government in Kabul.
A similar warning of spring offensive was issued by the Taliban last year as well. However, nothing as such was happened that year. Instead, the NATO forces launched their own operation and dislodged the militants from the districts of Panjwayee and Zherai in Kandahar province of Afghanistan by killing over 500 militants.
A day earlier, the Afghan Defence Ministry had said that their forces were stronger than before and were fully prepared to meet any eventuality from the Taliban side.
Meanwhile, a policeman was killed and another two wounded in a landmine explosion while eight civilians were perished when explosives planted in an abandoned car went off in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Both the blasts happened in the southern province of Helmand. Police chief of the povince Brig. Gen. Mohammad Hussain Andiwal said the policemen were on routine patrol when their vehicle stepped on a roadside bomb in Grishk district of the province. One cop was killed and another two injured in the blast.
The second blast, that took place in a car, claimed eight lives. All of the fatalities were
civilians, said Andiwal.
An explosive-packed car went off in a crowded market that killed eight civilians busy in routine business in the market, he added. Andiwal said the car was parked near the slum makeshift market.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the second attack but would not said as who were the target. Their spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said six policemen were killed in the first explosion.
ENDS