Why terrorists are having a field day in Afghanistan
Terror attacks, including suicide bombings, have become routine in Afghanistan. Worse, there is no respite in sight from this cycle of violence. Terrorists are having a field day in the country.
On May 6, Khost, in east Afghanistan, witnessed a deadly terror strike in a voter registration office claiming over 17 lives. Khost has always been the epicentre of terror-linked activities and is a known stronghold of the ISIS.
Electoral offices could be under attack for the obvious reason that terrorists have no liking for electoral processes. And Afghanistan's problems cannot be attributed only to the ISIS because the Taliban too is active in the country.
Just a month back in April, a suicide bombing in Kabul killed more than 60 people and grievously wounded many others.
The tragedy unfolded near the intelligence and security headquarters, which in close to the US embassy and other important diplomatic installations.
The Khost and Kabul attacks prove that the ISIS and the Taliban are working closely to inflict maximum damage on people and property in the restive country.
It doesn't seem like Afghanistan has a functional intelligence gathering apparatus.
The US has been claiming from the rooftop that it helping Afghanistan in its fight to counter terror. On the ground, however, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Unless a strong message is sent out, the hostile forces will not be deterred and that is what is happening on the ground. The writ of the ISIS and Taliban runs large in Afghanistan.
It is noteworthy that terror targets in Afghanistan are close to strategically important structures, which means terrorist forces exist close to these structures, which is a very disturbing sign.
If this is allowed to go on, a common Afghanistan national will never feel safe in any part of the country.
It is disheartening to note that counter-terror forces appear demotivated in doing their job. Unless security forces are led from the front, energised and kept on their toes, acts of terror will go on leading to the kind of rule of law existed in medieval times. The situation as it exists is extremely demoralising for the security forces as well.
It has been reiterated in the past and needs to be underscored time and again that Afghanistan alone is not capable of handling the mess it is in.
Decimating the hydra-headed monster of terrorism in the country is not easy given how badly radicalised terrorists operating in and from the country are. The problem is compounded by the fact that neighbouring Pakistan is abetting terror attacks in Afghanistan.
Security experts believe that Pakistan will continue its efforts to destabilise Afghanistan in an attempt to assert its role in the region, especially, to thwart any warmth in the relations between India and Afghanistan.
Under these circumstances, it is advisable for the western intelligence forces to reactivate their intelligence machinery to pick up bits and pieces of intelligence to pre-empt major strikes and demolish the terrorist infrastructure that exists.
Collaboration between Afghanistan, India and western powers to combat terror is imperative. Today, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is as vulnerable as any other Afghan in the country. This speaks volumes about the security situation in the country.
On May 6, another development in Afghanistan hit Indian interests in the regions. Seven engineers trying to rebuild the war-torn country were abducted in a clear message that Indians are not safe in Afghanistan. The deep state in Pakistan, which exercises great influence in Afghanistan too, will do everything it can to ensure Indo-Afghan ties are never allowed to flourish.
It is thus extremely important to work towards rooting out terrorists and terrorism from the soil of Afghanistan.