Civilian attack: 24 civilians were killed and 110 wounded in a car bomb attack in Logar Province, Afghanistan. Among the dead were women, children and a number of students. A hospital was also hit, and eleven health workers and several patients were wounded. Photo: Reuters
The deadline for withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan has already expired on May 1. In recent weeks, the country has witnessed several deadly terrorist attacks. At the end of this week he criticized again.
On April 13, President Biden made it clear that US forces, and by extension the rest of NATO, Leave Afghanistan forever By 9/11 – more than four months after the original agreement with the Taliban.
In an interview with VG The Norwegian Defense Chief, Eric Kristofferson, has warned that both the Taliban and ISIS may escalate their actions soon.
my knowledge: Fear in Kabul: The Taliban are ready to take over
Several recent incidents confirm Kristofferson’s fears of a further escalation of the conflict. Last Friday it was 24 civilians were killed and 110 injured In a car bomb attack in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
Updated figures from Reuters confirm the ever-increasing confrontations between the Taliban and Afghan security forces following the US decision: in the past two weeks alone, more than a hundred Afghan security forces have been killed in Taliban attacks.
Friday it was Two Afghan soldiers were killed and 18 wounded In a bomb explosion at a military base at Bagram Airport, north of Kabul, where forces from the United States and other NATO countries are stationed.
Read also: Afghanistan Exit: Norwegian soldiers will be among the last
Here again, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban previously stated that they would attack foreign forces in the NATO-led coalition if the foreign soldiers did not exit by the May 1 deadline.
It is now feared that Friday’s attack, which took place on what should be the last day of American forces on Afghan soil, was a response to the United States ’breach of the agreement and the beginning of a new phase for the country.
The Taliban may have changed their tactics
The bombing, which killed 24 civilians, was said to have occurred near a guest house located in a residential area in the provincial capital, Bol Alam. The attack took place at a time when most people were breaking their fast during Ramadan.
The blast left many people trapped under collapsed homes, NTB writes. A hospital was also hit, and eleven health workers and several patients were wounded, according to the head of the governorate’s health authorities, Rasul Gul Samar.
Among the dead were women, children and a number of students. Although the country’s president accuses the Taliban, there is silence from the movement.
Brio researcher and Afghan expert Christian Berg Harpviken doesn’t necessarily believe that the Taliban always bear responsibility, even if they are behind an attack.
Fear: Brio researcher and Afghanistan expert Christian Berg Harpviken believes that developments in Afghanistan in the past two weeks have created a great fear of what will happen in the future. Photo: Kallestad, Gorm / Scanpix
He has been following developments closely in recent days, and does not rule out the possibility of seeing yesterday’s attacks linked to the US’s latest move.
Obviously, the first thing that crosses your mind is that it’s related to extraction. Meanwhile, the Taliban have carried out almost no major terrorist attacks in the past two years. What is happening now is a little surprising. That could indicate that they are changing tactics, says Harpviken.
This is not the only thing that has happened in the past 24 hours. Afghan Tolo news Reports too He pointed out that 30 Afghan soldiers disappeared after a Taliban attack on a military site in Ghazni on Friday night.
It could escalate into terror against civilians
Brio researcher believes that the development in the past two weeks has created a great fear of what will happen in the next time, in parallel with the withdrawal of the United States and NATO.
The fear is that you will witness an escalation of terror affecting civilians. Over the past year, we have witnessed a large number of targeted executions that have created a lot of fear. Harviken explains that this has led to many people leaving the country.
So he believes there are two main questions that are central today:
Will the Taliban direct their weapons to the international forces? He asks, adding:
The international forces should leave today according to the agreement between the United States and the Taliban. The Taliban have said that we will fight them. At the same time, there are many good reasons why this is unwise and because they should let the extraction process safely.
The second question he raises is whether the war against the current government will escalate.
Are the major terrorist attacks renewed? It is a third category. There are many reasons to be so anxious about this. Many civilians have already been affected by the war between the government and the Taliban.
Not sure where the United States is
In Afghanistan, the extremist Islamic State group has also been active in recent months. They claimed, among other things, responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks and assassinations.
Even if the level of conflict escalates while the Americans are still on Afghan soil, Harviken does not think it would be appropriate for the United States to alter or reverse the withdrawal.
– The United States decided. Nobody can and will challenge this. I think it is unlikely that the extraction process will be reversed, but rather it will be completed long before 9/11, says researcher Brio and asserts:
The question is whether the American forces will occupy a neutral position if a critical situation arises for the Afghan government forces. Will they intervene or not? Many in government offices in Kabul are probably asking now.
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