Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has ordered his security forces to launch all-out strikes against the Taliban. Ghani authorized the Afghan forces to switch from “active defensive” mode to “offensive” mode in a public address on Tuesday night.
In a televised message, President Ghani said the Taliban have ignored repeated calls for decreased violence and ceasefire. He added that a call for a ceasefire does not mean weakness – it shows a commitment to peace.
Earlier, terrorists stormed a maternity hospital in Kabul killing 14 people, including two newborn babies, their mothers and an unspecified number of nurses. At least 14 people were killed in the morning assault on the Barchi Hospital, officials said on Tuesday.
The unconscionable #war #crimes in #Afghanistan today, targeting a maternity hospital and a funeral, must awaken the world to the horrors civilians continue to face. There must be accountability for these grave crimes, and civilians must be protected. https://t.co/Xrjzc1uQDg
— Amnesty International South Asia (@amnestysasia) May 12, 2020
In another major attack in the eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, the suicide bomber targeted the funeral in Khewa district of a former warlord who had died on Monday night, said Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor.
The interior ministry said the total death toll included 24 killed and 68 wounded. The injured were brought to the Nangarhar provincial hospital, said hospital spokesman Gulzada Sangar.
Terrorists (not gunmen as the western media is reporting) attacked a funeral and a maternity hospital in Afghanistan today. 15 mothers and their new born babies died. At the funeral a suicide bomber killed 25. The Taliban peace deal is dead on arrival. https://t.co/A48RwTMhyU
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) May 12, 2020
Meanwhile, as per the orders of Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan security forces who were in “active defensive” mode since late February when the Taliban accepted to diminish violence in exchange for signing a peace deal have been ordered to go on offensive mode
Ghani’s message comes after four deadly attacks happening in different parts of the country, including one in Kabul that targeted a maternity hospital, killing women and children, and an attack on a funeral ceremony in Nangarhar, that killed dozens.
