 |
| An unidentified gunman lies dead after a clash with Afghan and NATO forces in Ghazni Province, Oct. 17, 2011. Photo source: Pajhwok News. |
A notorious Taliban commander involved in a series of deadly attacks against US and Afghan forces has been killed in Ghazni province, according to the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS). Afghan officials said that Mullah Abdul Wakeel, known locally as Mullah Mutawakil, was shot to death after he attempted to snatch a gun from a security guard escorting him to a detention facility near Ghazni City, Pajhwok News reported.
Mullah Abdul Wakeel led a militant front consisting of 20 fighters and reportedly maintained links to the Haqqani Network, according to Afghan sources who spoke to The Long War Journal on condition of anonymity. Syed Amirshah Sadat, the NDS spokesman for Ghazni province, welcomed the news of the death Mullah Abdul Wakil, claiming his demise will have "a positive impact on the security situation in this province."
The death of Mullah Abdul Wakeel follows the arrest of a top Taliban financier, or treasurer, known as Mullah Shah Wali. Afghan National Army personnel conducted a clean-up operation in the Muqar (Muqur) district of Ghazni on Sunday and seized the Taliban financier, according to Afghan Army officer Dillawar Shah Dillawar, who spoke to Xinhua.
The combined Afghan and NATO operations against the Taliban in Ghazni continue, despite a number of security and political setbacks that have roiled the unstable province, which is located 125 kilometers southwest of Kabul.
On Oct. 30, unidentified gunmen assassinated an NDS agent in the Bazazi area on the outskirts of Ghazni City. One month prior, the Aab Band district police chief, Colonel Noor Alam, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen on a motorbike. The gunmen launched their attack in front of Colonel Alam's residence in the Bahlol Sahib area of Ghazni City. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for both attacks. Additionally, by mid-October, the Taliban were reportedly airing FM radio transmissions in several of Ghazni's districts, including Qarabagh, Giro, Aab Band, Waghaz, Deh Yak, and Andar. The three-hour radio broadcasts of Shariat Ghag (Voice of Shariah) are thought to be powered by mobile transmitters mounted on trucks and/or motorcycles.
Although responsibility for security of Ghazni City will transfer from international forces to Afghan forces later this year, the province of Ghazni, suffers from acute political instability and insurgent activity. The province, which has yet to nominate a provincial leader representing the High Peace Council (the national committee driving reconciliation efforts with Taliban and other insurgents), has a long record of similar government inadequacies. In early October, Ghazni officials reported that 12 of the province's 18 districts have had no active government representation for the past four years. Instead, officials maintain their residences in the provincial capital of Ghazni City and rarely visit the insecure district headquarters of their respective offices.
Many of Ghazni's officials, including the Provincial Council, warn that if foreign forces transition authority to Afghan security forces before 2013, most of the province will fall immediately to the Taliban.
