Tuesday, April 10, 2012, Afghanistan went through two other deadly terrorist attacks in west and south. At least 15 people were killed in two separate suicide bombings in Guzara district of Herat and Helmand. In Herat province, eight civilians and three policemen died when suicide bombers detonated their vehicle at a local government office in Guzara district of Herat province and four policemen were killed in a suicide attack targeting a police compound in Musa Qala district of southern province of Helmand.

At least 21 people were injured in Herat attack. The Taliban have been launching spring offensive in recent years, intensifying their terrorist and suicide attacks across the country. These vicious acts usually lead to high civilian casualties as reports say that most of the casualties in Herat were civilians who had come to the government offices on business, with many women and children among them.

Observers and Afghan people fear that Tuesday's assaults could be the tip of an iceberg as snow is melting and disappearing. Foreign and Afghan forces should not wait for the Taliban to come with full force to carry out their spring offensive and increase their terrorist operations.

The Taliban have been particularly emboldened by the scheduled withdrawal of foreign forces supposed to be completed in 2014. In the meanwhile, Afghan government and the US have been trying to flatteringly convince the Taliban to come to the negotiation table and join the fold.

The militants recently announced to have postponed the talks about talks with the argument that the US has failed to meet their demands for opening an office in Qatar and releasing their prisoners from Guantanamo bay. In order to force the US and Afghan government to accept their demands, the Taliban may use their usual spring surge in attacks to score points and to show that the situation is becoming in their favor.

The neighboring countries may also take more interests this spring to support the Taliban in their terrorist attacks with the aim to challenge the writ of the existing government and challenge the so-called honorable exit of international community from Afghanistan. So Afghan and NATO forces should plan and carry out effective operations in areas that continue to serve as hotbeds for the Taliban and other insurgents before the security situation becomes too complex or before it runs out of their control.