KABUL - The Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Sunday announced that the Afghan security forces will soon launch a large scale military operations in northern Afghanistan in the hope of eliminating insurgents and bolstering law and order in the embattled region.

The news comes after months of clashes between the Afghan security forces and Taliban militants in provinces across northern Afghanistan, a region that has traditionally been a less restive part of the country.

Earlier this year, insurgents pushed into provinces like Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan and Balkh, prompting local mujahideen leaders to arm themselves and band together in order to resist the influx of foreign militants and concomitant violence.

Now, it would appear, the Afghan military plans to take the situation into their own hands for a large, definitive strike to halt the militant offensive.

"The Chief of Army Staff has been in the northern provinces since Wednesday and is busy in planning the kick off of military operations for wiping out insurgents," MoD spokesman Dawlat Waziri told TOLOnews on Sunday.

"The Afghan National Army will soon eliminate militants from northern parts of the country," he added.

Members of the Kunduz Provincial Council have warned that insecurity is growing and the public is losing trust in the government's ability to maintain law and order. "The government has no plan to eradicate militants in Kunduz," Kunduz Provincial Council member Ghulam Rabbani said. "The reason behind rising insecurity in Kunduz is inefficiency and poor administration of the local government."

Six districts of Kunduz have recently witnessed heavy clashes between security forces and insurgents. Reports suggest that Dasht-e-Archi district and some others in the province are fully under militant control. (Tolonews)