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| Afghan Forces Begin Mission to Break Taliban’s Grip on Highway | Afghan Forces Begin Mission to Break Taliban’s Grip on Highway |
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| KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Afghan security forces began a push to break the Taliban’s hold on a crucial southern highway through Uruzgan Province, officials said on Monday, hoping to ease the insurgents’ intensifying siege of an important provincial capital. | KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Afghan security forces began a push to break the Taliban’s hold on a crucial southern highway through Uruzgan Province, officials said on Monday, hoping to ease the insurgents’ intensifying siege of an important provincial capital. |
| While the most public and urgent security concerns in the south have been focused on the fighting in Helmand Province in recent months, the insurgency has also been slowly choking the city of Tirin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan. | While the most public and urgent security concerns in the south have been focused on the fighting in Helmand Province in recent months, the insurgency has also been slowly choking the city of Tirin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan. |
| The province next door, where many of Taliban’s founding leaders hail from, became a softer target for the insurgency last year. Since the mysterious assassination in March 2015 of Gen. Matiullah Khan, the former police chief and strongman who largely kept the insurgents at bay, the province’s security leadership has fallen into chaos. | The province next door, where many of Taliban’s founding leaders hail from, became a softer target for the insurgency last year. Since the mysterious assassination in March 2015 of Gen. Matiullah Khan, the former police chief and strongman who largely kept the insurgents at bay, the province’s security leadership has fallen into chaos. |
| Now, Tirin Kot has been cut off from most of its surrounding districts. Last week, the Taliban overran dozens of outposts on the highway connecting the city to Kandahar, the southern regional economic and military hub, according to Muhammad Karim Khadimzai, the head of the Uruzgan provincial council. | |
| The highway’s closing has raised food prices in Tirin Kot and districts nearby, and increased fears that the insurgents might take the city, Mr. Khadimzai said. | |
| “The security situation is deteriorating in Uruzgan day by day,” he said. “We only have access to Chora district, which is close to the capital; the rest of the districts are cut off from the provincial center.” | “The security situation is deteriorating in Uruzgan day by day,” he said. “We only have access to Chora district, which is close to the capital; the rest of the districts are cut off from the provincial center.” |
| A stronger Taliban foothold in Uruzgan would further destabilize the surrounding areas, including Kandahar, and large parts of central Afghanistan. While Kandahar has remained relatively safe as other parts of southern Afghanistan has come under fire from the territory-gobbling insurgency, the province is vulnerable in the districts bordering Uruzgan and Helmand. | A stronger Taliban foothold in Uruzgan would further destabilize the surrounding areas, including Kandahar, and large parts of central Afghanistan. While Kandahar has remained relatively safe as other parts of southern Afghanistan has come under fire from the territory-gobbling insurgency, the province is vulnerable in the districts bordering Uruzgan and Helmand. |
| The operation to clear the highway connecting Kandahar to Tirin Kot, as well as the surrounding districts, was led by Lt. Gen. Abdul Raziq, the powerful police chief of Kandahar. | The operation to clear the highway connecting Kandahar to Tirin Kot, as well as the surrounding districts, was led by Lt. Gen. Abdul Raziq, the powerful police chief of Kandahar. |
| “Clearance operations are ongoing in several districts in Kandahar, including Shawalikot and Mianshin, which is key to reopening the highway,” said Zia Durani, a spokesman for the Kandahar police. | “Clearance operations are ongoing in several districts in Kandahar, including Shawalikot and Mianshin, which is key to reopening the highway,” said Zia Durani, a spokesman for the Kandahar police. |
| On Sunday morning, engineering units trying came under fire while trying to clear Taliban land mines around the highway, Mr. Durani said. He said that 45 Taliban fighters were killed in the six-hour battle, including two senior commanders for Kandahar Province. | On Sunday morning, engineering units trying came under fire while trying to clear Taliban land mines around the highway, Mr. Durani said. He said that 45 Taliban fighters were killed in the six-hour battle, including two senior commanders for Kandahar Province. |
| Since the ouster of the Taliban government in 2001, Uruzgan has been largely run by strongmen allied with former President Hamid Karzai through his Popalzai tribe. | Since the ouster of the Taliban government in 2001, Uruzgan has been largely run by strongmen allied with former President Hamid Karzai through his Popalzai tribe. |
| One of those was General Khan, the powerful Uruzgan figure who made a fortune as a highway militia leader providing security escort to NATO convoys. He was killed in a targeted suicide bombing in downtown Kabul. | One of those was General Khan, the powerful Uruzgan figure who made a fortune as a highway militia leader providing security escort to NATO convoys. He was killed in a targeted suicide bombing in downtown Kabul. |
| Soon after his death, General Khan’s younger brother, Rahimullah Khan, demanded to be appointed police chief despite lacking formal military experience or basic literacy. The central government, realizing that much of the police force in Uruzgan was made up of General Khan’s escort militia, reached a compromise with Rahimullah, appointing him deputy police chief. | Soon after his death, General Khan’s younger brother, Rahimullah Khan, demanded to be appointed police chief despite lacking formal military experience or basic literacy. The central government, realizing that much of the police force in Uruzgan was made up of General Khan’s escort militia, reached a compromise with Rahimullah, appointing him deputy police chief. |
| Security officials say Rahimullah Khan’s lack of experience and mismanagement, including abandoning checkpoints in several districts including around the highway, has been one factor in the Taliban’s gaining ground. A widespread security collapse in Uruzgan was narrowly avoided four months ago only after the army stepped into push back the Taliban. | Security officials say Rahimullah Khan’s lack of experience and mismanagement, including abandoning checkpoints in several districts including around the highway, has been one factor in the Taliban’s gaining ground. A widespread security collapse in Uruzgan was narrowly avoided four months ago only after the army stepped into push back the Taliban. |