Taliban's new Afghan plan: Target Indian workers

The Afghan Taliban has said that it would now launch a 'new war strategy' in which they will target Indians, who are working in various NGOs and other organisations in the country.

'The operation commanders of the Islamic Emirate (as Taliban movement calls itself) are going to meet shortly to finalise a new war strategy under which foreigners working on their national agendas, particularly Indians, will be targeted,' The News quoted Qari Ziaur Rehman, a Taliban commander, as saying.

'Indians are on top among the foreigners who are working on hidden agenda on the pretext of carrying out development activities,' he added.

Rehman said that another meeting of the operation commanders would be convened before the holy month of Ramazan to devise the new strategy.

'Until now, the Taliban

groups have been devising their own strategy in different areas of the country but now onwards a joint war strategy will be adopted across the country,' he added.

Earlier, in October last year, a Taliban suicide bomber had killed 17 people and wounded more than 80 in an attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul.

Indo-Afghan relations had strengthened in the wake of Afghanistan's persisting tensions and problems with Pakistan, which was suspected of sheltering and supporting the Taliban. Both nations have also developed strategic and military cooperation against the insurgency.

India has pursued a policy of close cooperation with Afghanistan, and in 2007, had pledged $850 million to reconstruction efforts in the country. It is the largest amount from any country without a military presence in Afghanistan.