Taliban continue terror with deadlier attacks and more sinister tactics. The latest attack on Thursday night targeting a picnic resort at the Qargha Lake took lives of at least 18 people including 17 civilians and a policeman. Four suicide bombers were gunned down after hours-long gunfight that continued until Friday morning. Dozens were wounded.
Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility saying there were foreigners and Afghan officials. With their pack of lies, militant spokesmen were live-updating the attack on their website and twitter. They were justifying massacre of innocent civilians by saying there were foreigners and Afghan officials, while all the victims are ordinary Kabulis who had gone at the lakeside resort for picnicking. Taliban also claimed the attack was to target those taking part in 'immoral' activities.
Women and children were held hostage. Photos from the scene show there was a birthday going on in the main hostage-room when militants stormed killing people at point blank range. A youngster with an unlighted cigarette in one hand and its pack in the other was lying on floor. The birthday cake was half eaten and glasses half-filled with coke.
Survivors said Taliban bombers killed people on point blank range and they were asking for prostitutes. It is a turning point in Taliban attacks that they are sending suicide bombers, for which there was the Vice and Virtue Police during the dark period of their regime in Kabul.
Interior Ministry spokesman said the Taliban attack is "barbaric, criminal and terrorist".
This attack should put an end to the myth of a softer-Taliban propagated by those who are beating the drums of negotiations and a political settlement with terrorists who want to impose their primitive worldview on Afghans.
The Qargha attack proves that Taliban have no intentions of flexibility. With deadlier tactics targeting civilians, they want to send a message to the people of Afghanistan that when international troops withdraw, the forces of darkness will attempt to takeover through terror.
But they should know that the day ordinary Afghans stand against Taliban atrocities, it will be an armed resistance. The democratic values and achievements of last ten years will be protected at all costs and Taliban will be resisted. They should realize that their fantasy of a totalitarian imposition will never come true. They can only be accepted in the system through a peaceful political struggle.
The rescue operation and counterstrike by security forces took the whole night as they made all out efforts to be careful because of civilians held hostages. According to survivors, all civilians were killed by the Taliban militants. We appreciate the rapid response of our National Security Forces who gunned down all attackers.
It is an intelligence failure, but security forces in the area cannot be blamed. Qargha is a public picnicking spot where thousands go every day, particularly on Thursday evenings. Police cannot check every individual in all vehicles. The militants reportedly have crossed the security checks wearing Burqas. They had entered the restaurant killing three security guards at the gate. The five attackers were armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.
Amnesty International has strongly condemned the attack saying it was the most serious single loss of civilian life in Afghanistan since the Taliban attacked Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel a year ago. Their statement said, "The Taliban's repeated brazen attacks targeting civilians show an utter disregard for human life and may amount to war crimes which should be investigated and prosecuted by the International Criminal Court."
Amnesty International further said the Afghan government and its international partners must not lose sight of human rights as they pursue reconciliation with the Taliban. Any potential peace deal must not include impunity for war crimes and other grave human rights abuses.
Major political opposition groups have also strongly condemned the atrocious Taliban attack. . Afghanistan National Front (ANF) condemned the attack saying Taliban's terror tactics are the same deadly as it was before. ANF Chief Ahmad Zia Massoud said there is no sign of flexibility from Taliban and they continue killing civilians. National Coalition in its statement said the inhuman attack on innocent civilians in picnic spots and residential areas are criminal showing that militants cannot face our national security forces and cowardly target civilians
Unfortunately President Hamid Karzai continues to pursue a policy of leniency and appeasement towards the Taliban and other insurgent groups. The President's policy has even emboldened militants as he calls them 'brothers'. He has been critical to the NATO and Afghan forces' counter-insurgency operations. He calls for ban on night raids and airstrikes which have been the only effective tactic against militants.