KABUL (AFP) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai said preparations were being made to retake a district captured by Taliban rebels two days ago, attributing the militants' success to his weak police force.
The governor of Bakwa district in the western province of Farah, Yahya Riadth, said separately troop reinforcements had moved into the area and he anticipated an operation shortly.
Taliban militants swept into Bakwa, a strategic district that includes the main road linking southern and western Afghanistan, late Thursday after heavy fighting. Late Monday they took neighbouring Gulistan.
"It is a serious concern," Karzai told reporters Saturday during a media briefing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"There is a preparation going on to free that district from the Taliban," he said, referring to Bakwa, which has in recent months seen a spike in Taliban activity.
Taliban insurgents have previously overrun several districts in remote parts of Afghanistan, including Bakwa, but have been easily ejected with the help of the international militaries here to aid the country's weak security forces.
They have, however, held the district of Musa Qala, close to Gulistan, since February and the area is considered a Taliban base.
Karzai said the reason the militants were able to move into districts was "clear."
The reason for their success is the weakness of the Afghan forces, including a lack of training and a shortage of proper equipment, especially in far-flung areas of the country, Karzai said.
International forces are helping to train the Afghan army and police, which were non-existent when the Taliban were forced out of government in late 2001 by a US-led coalition.
Karzai said the solution to his fragile nation's insecurity was the further training and equipping of the Afghan forces.
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