ISAF reports 7% decline in Taliban attacks
25 September, 2012
KABUL: NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has said attacks by anti-government armed groups against foreign forces declined by 17 percent in the first seven months of the current year, as compared to the same period in 2011.
Brigadier General Günter Katz, spokesman for the international force, told journalists here on Monday (Sept. 24) that attacks on their troops by armed rivals decreased by 9% percent in August 2012, as compared to the same month last year.
He said numerous attacks by the Taliban and other armed groups were repelled and the gunmen were ousted from key areas and cities of Afghanistan, adding capacity of the Afghan security forces has also been raised as a result decline in rival attacks were reported.
If we compare Taliban attacks conducted in the current year with attacks in 2010 then the attacks declined by 30 percent, he claimed.
He continued that if attacks in the first seven months of 2012 are compared with the same period in last year then these attacks decreased by 17 percent.
Brigadier General Günter Katz said Taliban were still using roadside bombs which, he said, cause casualties to civilians.
He, however, admitted that Taliban attacks and activities in some areas of the war ravaged Afghanistan increased this year.
He said ISAF findings suggested that near 80 percent Taliban attacks and operations were conducted in remote districts and far flung areas which has 20 percent population of Afghanistan.
ISAF reports decline in Taliban attacks at a time when some media reports suggested that Taliban were increased.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected ISAF's claim as false and told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), "We strongly and clearly rejected this claim.
Like the past, attacks by Taliban against the enemy continue while the enemy has retreated from numerous areas of the country and abandoned their major bases which resulted in decline in Taliban attacks."
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