KavkazCenter - Taliban Thanks the US for the Operation Mountain Thrust

Taliban Thanks the US for the Operation Mountain Thrust

Taliban said Wednesday launching any operation never proved gainful for coalition forces in past rather it made their "hunt" easy for Taliban fighters.

While commenting the launching of new operation by coalition forces, Taliban spokesman Qari Muhammad Yousaf said, "They made such announcement for the last four/five years but did not able to make these operations gainful. Coalition forces received heavy casualties in such operations because it made their hunt."

"Many belts of Afghan forces around their bases and tight security made attacks very hard for us. But whenever they comes out of their bases we feel easy to attacked them," he added.

Qari Yousaf further said, "We had anti-aircraft guns and thousands of fighters in Helmand, Oruzgan, Kandahar and Zabul and still busy in war with foreign forces and using every strategy to hurt them."

He termed the announcement "just propaganda" and said, "Operations is ongoing. Taliban attacked them every day. We killed many foreign soldiers in the last two days in Zabul."

"We received information regarding such attacks in advance and also received information about the said operations," he added.

Yousaf termed the coalition forces claims as "false" regarding killing 20 Taliban fighters in Paktika province in bombardment and said, "This is false propaganda and no such incident occurred in Paktika."

Coalition forces said today to have killed 20 Taliban in bombardment in Paktika province and launched a grand operations against Taliban involved more then 11,000 troops.

Meanwhile, Taliban on Thursday claimed responsibility of bomb blast in Kandahar which according to local officials killed eight airport workers.

Spokesman of Taliban fighters, Qari Muhammad Yousaf claimed the responsibility of the blast and said, "That was not a suicide attack but was a bomb blast. Taliban planted an explosive device in the vehicle of those airport employees working with Americans."

Warning all those employees working with Americans Qari said, "If they not able to join Jihad (holy war) against Americans then they must leave their positions and don't work with Americans otherwise we will attack them."

"Those attacked today including translators and other office staff working at Kandahr airport," said Qari Yousaf.

Meanwhile Muhammad Daud Ahmadi, spokesman of the puppet governor of Kandahar, while addressing a press conference here said, "Those killed in the blast are labours. It is not clear how this blast happened but it is not a suicide attack."

"The blast left eight people killed and 16 other injured," Ahmadi added.

Taliban also reported late Wednesday killing ten puppet government soldiers in Ghazni province.

Qari Muhammad Yousaf, spokesman of Taliban fighters, phoned Afghan Islamic Press and said, "Taliban attacked government forces in Qara Bagh district of Ghazni province killed ten soldiers and destroyed two military vehicles."

"One Talib was also killed in the clash," he added.

When AIP contacted Ghazni puppet police chief, a man having phone of police chief and did not disclosed his name said, "Clash occurred in Qara Bagh district but I haven't any details while the police chief is busy at the moment."

AIP tried for two hours to contact police chief for details but we found him "busy" all the time.

Qara Bagh district is about 72 kilometers in southwest of Ghazni city.

AIP