Taliban announces start of spring offensive in Afghanistan

The Taliban it has launched its annual spring military offensive in Afghanistan, titled “Omari Operation.”

The Taliban said the operation has been named after its deceased leader Mullah Omar, and is part of its 15-year-old “jihad against the American invasion” and effort to reestablish an Islamic system in Afghanistan. 

“With the advent of spring it is again time for us to renew our Jihadi determination and operations,” the group said. 

In a statement sent to reporters Tuesday, the group promised “large scale attacks on enemy positions, martyrdom-seeking (suicide) and tactical attacks against enemy strongholds and assassination of enemy commanders in urban centres.”

The Taliban also said they would try to avoid killing civilians or destroying civilian infrastructure, and would carry out a “dialogue with our countrymen in the enemy ranks” to try to convince them to join the insurgency.

The Taliban inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan security forces during the 2015 fighting season, killing nearly 6,000 personnel, including soldiers and police, while another 14,000 were wounded.

The militant group also captured more territory then at any point since it was ousted from power in 2001 for harbouring Al-Qaeda.

The United States-led military coalition ended its combat mission in 2014, leaving behind some 13,000-troops, mostly Americans, to train Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism operations.