KABUL - MPs in the Wolesi Jirga said the Taliban’s ability to seize military hardware was a serious problem which was adding to the high death toll among security forces.
MPs have lashed out at government over the high casualty toll among security force members citing the seizure of military hardware by the Taliban as being a key factor in the rising death toll.
Wolesi Jirga Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi said the mission of the Afghan Defense and Security Forces has been affected by a range of issues including the seizure of  tanks and other heavy military equipment by the Taliban in parts of the country.
“Taliban has taken more than 100 tanks belonging to government (forces) and this issue was repeated in Uruzgan. Taliban has gained momentum by this,” Ibrahimi said.
Ibrahimi stated senior security officials need to appear before the Wolesi Jirga.
The Saturday session focused on the ongoing conflict in the country including last week’s incident in Uruzgan that left at least 20 soldiers dead.
MPs said the Uruzgan incident was a tragedy.
“No one hears the voice of the soldiers who lose their lives; who defend their country honestly. The situation would have been different if our children were among the forces,” said Ghulam Farooq Majroh, an MP.
“I will put all the evidence in front of you (the Wolesi Jirga speaker) because you should know who is a traitor and whose problem this is. This is the eighth base in Uruzgan which has fallen to the Taliban,” said Obaidullah Barekzai, an MP from Uruzgan.
Some lawmakers meanwhile said officials who have neglected to help soldiers should be punished.
“Government has everything including aircraft and commandos but why can it not reach (battles) in time? Whoever is responsible, whether he is the defense minister or the chief of army staff or the corps commander; they should be brought to justice in order to prevent a repeat of these incidents,” said Iqbal Safi, an MP from Kapisa.
“We urge government to pay attention to this matter and become accountable for the lives of those who are sacrificed while defending the country,” said Farahi Osmani, a lawmaker.
The Ministry of Defense last week confirmed that at least 20 soldiers were killed in Uruzgan after they were targeted during a coordinated attack by the Taliban.
The ministry said reinforcements did not arrive in time to save the soldiers. (Tolonews)