Afghans are in the middle of harsh winter in their country. Winter is not considered a fighting season in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, this winter is different. Traditionally, Taliban have been launching and intensifying their fighting campaign in the spring season. In contrast to other years, this winter the Taliban have not slept. Winter has meant continuation of attacks across Afghanistan.

In the short period of 15-27 January, there have been a number of attacks from Taliban’s side over Afghan government and NATO forces. Here is an account of major attacks launched by Taliban during this period: On 16 January, the Taliban insurgents targeted the National Directorate of Security (NDS), killing and injuring scores of people. On 22nd of the same month, suicide bombers launched an attack over the Traffic Police HQ as result of which 4 people were killed and dozens were injured. On Jan 25, Afghan police said a suicide car bomber killed five civilians and wounded another 25 in a botched attempt to hit a convoy of NATO supply trucks in Tagab district of Kapisa province. In the northern city of Kunduz, a suicide attacker on a motorbike detonated an explosive vest near a police checkpoint on Saturday, 26 January. The blast killed 10 policemen, including the provincial counterterrorism chief and the head of the traffic department. On the same day, two people were killed in a suicide attack in the main city of Ghazni. Yesterday, the 27 January, a police truck packed with officers and detainees struck a roadside bomb in southern Kandahar city, killing 10 of those aboard.

The month of January has already been bloody in Afghanistan. With such a condition, the government blows the trumpet of better security which is no more than a tale futility to the people of Afghanistan. The Taliban attacks in the center and different provinces of the country challenge the government whose present focus is peace and reconciliation process and release of insurgents from prisons.

Intensification of terror attacks by Taliban and failure of Afghan government to counter them result in the worries of the people to grow. The future starts looking bleaker.

From the tendency of Taliban to launch a series of attacks in the winter, one can easily judge how the warmer seasons would be. It is expected that insurgency would go on intensifying as Afghanistan nears complete withdrawal of US-led NATO troops. At such crucial juncture, the top priority for the Afghan government must not be political deal with Taliban but the security of the people of Afghanistan.