There was another lethal attack in the heart of the capital Kabul by at least five suicide attackers on Friday evening. According to the news reports, the attackers, before holding up in a building in the Shahr-i-Naw locality, set off a bomb followed by numerous smaller explosions and gunfire and were still engaged in a gun-battle with security forces when this editorial was written.

At least two Afghan police officers and two assailants were killed during clashes after multiple explosions that left at least two Afghan police officials, an Italian woman and other foreign nationals injured in the midst of one of Kabul's diplomatic quarters.

The attackers targeted the International Organization of Migration; a hospital used by the national intelligence service; and a nearby hotel, the Park Palace, all adjoining or close to the main compound of the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan.

The Taliban claimed that a squad of suicide attackers was targeting a guesthouse used by the Central Intelligence Agency “to train Afghan spies.” Zabiullah Mujahid said the initial blast was a suicide car bomb, which blew down the facility’s outer wall, allowing other attackers to storm inside armed with light and heavy weapons. “We believe there are massive casualties inflicted on the CIA.,” he said.

For the last few years Taliban have come up with different tactics. They have adopted to carry out lethal attacks in different parts of country which happen to be important in some way or the other. Their main objective has been to let the Afghan authorities and people know that they still have the potential to target any place they want – even the most guarded places. On the other hand they have also carried out deadly assaults on VIP’s; depicting that no one is safe against them.

Though their attacks are not like that of a traditional war and have not helped them gain control of the places they attack, they have been able to cast a lasting impact of terror on people’s psychology. Today, it is very difficult to think that there is any secure place in Afghanistan that cannot be targeted by Taliban. Moreover, people are psychologically threatened as they fear that Taliban have the capacity to attack any place any time.

It is important to note the nature of the attacks that are carried out by them in different places. In most of their recent attacks they are able to penetrate through a well-guarded and important place, choose a building, strengthen their position over there and keep on targeting the surroundings that happen to be significant government and international buildings, unless they are shot down by the security forces. On most of the occasions they have been able to occupy the place and vie for several hours.

By the time they are dead they have already initiated a wave of fear that travels throughout the area. It is unfortunate to note that Afghan security forces and intelligence agency have not been able to counter their tactics appropriately. It is correct that Afghan forces have fought well soon after the assaults, but it is really important that such attacks should be figured out, as has happened in this particular incident, before they are carried out and Afghan intelligence agency has to play a dominant role in this regard.

For the last few years, Taliban have also been carrying out their attacks through “Spring Offensives”. Spring Offensive is intensification in the assaults carried out by Taliban against the Afghan and international security forces in the spring season as during the cold weather it is difficult to carry out such assaults. In the ongoing year, as the spring has already started, Taliban have also announced their Spring Offensive and keep on threatening Afghan people.

It is important to see that Taliban are changing their tactics; therefore the Afghan security forces need to face them with the required preparations. With the changes in the tactics of the militants, it is necessary that there should be changes within the tactics of the security forces to counter them. How well the Afghan security forces are trained and they are ready depends on how well they will counter the Taliban insurgents in the times to come.