Written by Quqnoos.com
The Taliban called their deadly bomb attacks on the southern city of Kandahar a warning to NATO's top Afghan commander
The warning comes as top commander for foreign troops in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, is planning a major military offensive in Kandahar, the Taliban’s birthplace and spiritual stronghold.
The series of bombings that demolished buildings and killed dozens - including 10 people at a wedding - prompted the provincial governor to plead for more security in the area.
Kandahar offensive is said to be the next step of Marjah operation in Helmand, a part of 12-18 month push to drive the Taliban out of their strongholds in different Afghan regions.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said the Saturday night attacks proved the Taliban still were able to operate despite the buildup of Afghan and international troops in preparation for Kandahar push.
A Taliban-linked website called the attacks in the south's largest city a "warning" to NATO's Gen Stanley McChrystal, who plans the Kandahar operation after early successes in Marjah.
"Gen McChrystal has said that soon they will start their operations, and now we have already started our operations," Ahmadi said. "With all the preparations they have taken, still they are not able to stop us".
However, the Afghan Ministry of Interior spokesman Zemary Bashari said the attacks failed to achieve their main objective, which apparently was to repeat a 2008 jailbreak that freed a thousand of inmates.
Quqnoos
