School, hospitals reconstructed by India being overrun
In the run up to the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan’s covert agency — the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — is reported to be helping the Taliban to forge an alliance with terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayyeba for a violent takeover of provinces in the war-torn country.
The Taliban, along with the Pakistani terror groups, is capturing weapons stores of the US Army and opening its offices in Government infrastructure like school and hospital buildings reconstructed by India.
The Pakistan Army is trained in operating the American weapons, and the Taliban has found the role of JeM and LeT handy in both capturing such stores and using them in further onslaught.
The Taliban has reportedly developed an understanding with the JeM and LeT for such attacks in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. While the LeT is assisting the Taliban in Helmand, the JeM is operating in Kandahar.
Recently, the LeT conducted a mine blast in Helmand in which three persons were killed and the Pakistani terror group had claimed responsibility for the attack which was later also endorsed by the Taliban.
“In Helmand province, the LeT has so far attacked dispensaries, hospitals, administrative buildings and 16 schools built by India. The Taliban has captured at least two administrative blocks and has taken hostage of the captured hospital’s staff for treating the injured jehadis,” a senior official in the security establishment said.
The Taliban has also issued a statement claiming any education acquired through infrastructure built by kafirs is not acceptable in Islam, implying that more such attacks against schools are likely in the coming weeks, the official said.
The irony of the evolving situation in the provinces of Afghanistan where the Taliban is rampaging is that the cadres of LeT and JeM will be trained in the buildings for schools, hospitals and administrative blocks built by India, he said.
Counter-terrorism experts said the US Army is known to leave behind war stores that include sophisticated weapons and munitions while leaving a war zone.
“Since the Pakistan Army is trained in using those weapons, these equipment will now be exploited by the Taliban and its Pakistani associate groups like JeM and LeT for further consolidating their position in Afghanistan and dislodging the security paraphernalia of the elected Government there,” an expert said.
According to reports, the Taliban has already gained a significant hold in 26 out of 34 provinces in that country where the violence being perpetrated by the Taliban has witnessed a marked surge during the last few months.