Taliban Attack on a Border Province of Afghanistan Near Iran

Official sources and local residents report clashes between Taliban insurgents and police forces in Farah province in western Afghanistan, bordering Iran. According to Reuters, a local official and several residents confirmed that fighting broke out around police stations four kilometers from the city. One resident of Farah city told the news agency that Taliban forces are advancing rapidly, and if government officials do not act, the city will fall. Residents reported that the Taliban attack on Farah city began at 2 AM local time from multiple points. While Noorulhaq Khaliqi, a police spokesman in Farah, announced the 'repulsion' of the Taliban attack, locals say the insurgents have set up checkpoints at the city's exits and are controlling identity cards to prevent residents from fleeing. All schools, government offices, and shops in Farah have been closed. Mohammad Radmanesh, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, stated that orders have been issued to military forces in neighboring provinces to assist local police in protecting civilians and government buildings. According to him, two police officers were killed and four others injured in the Taliban attack on Farah. An unnamed doctor at Farah hospital reported the death of two police officers and injuries to 16 others, as well as five civilians, including women and children. Local officials assess the Taliban attack as a 'failure' for Afghanistan's security-intelligence forces, as a member of the Farah city council stated that the Taliban entered the city with 'full force' and 'heavy weapons.' The Taliban also announced in a statement that they have taken control of 'checkpoints' and a 'security' center where senior military officials operate. A Taliban spokesman further stated that the group's operations in Farah will continue and urged civilians to stay in their homes. According to Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, Taliban members do not target ordinary people, and their only aim is military forces. Since the beginning of the Taliban's military operations in the spring, several suicide attacks have occurred in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Farah is a sparsely populated province on the common border with Iran, which has long witnessed clashes between insurgents and police forces, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of police and military personnel. Several smuggling routes for opium from Afghanistan to Iran pass through Farah, and its governor resigned in January due to what he called the worsening security situation in the region, corruption, and political interference. On May 10, Reuters reported the deaths of dozens of police in Farah following a Taliban attack. Local officials stated that a series of separate Taliban operations on that day led to the deaths of over 30 police officers. The Taliban's spring operations began last month, coinciding with the upcoming parliamentary and council elections in Afghanistan scheduled for six months later. In recent weeks, insurgents have carried out several attacks on voter registration centers, resulting in the deaths of many civilians.