The morning on Thursday, August 2, in Afghanistan started with the news that five insurgents were killed in a gun-battle, who, in fact, wanted to attack the capital Kabul and cause severe blow to peace and tranquility. According to the news reports, the insurgents were sighted by National Directorate of Security's (NDS) agents as they were collecting weapons at a compound east of the city. The insurgents were, therefore, attacked and killed after a battle of around six hours. After they were killed it was found that they were fully loaded with a lot of explosives, ammunition, suicide vests, rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.

The NDS spokesperson Lutfullah Mashal said that the agents found three cars full of explosives and ammunition in the compound, along with scores of rocket launchers and heavy machine guns… The agents believed the men were planning to attack three sections of Kabul — a neighborhood near the parliament building, and areas downtown that house embassies and businesses.

He also added that they found maps with specific locations marked and they also found Burqas (the face-covering robes worn by many Afghan women) which they assume the attackers were going to use to disguise themselves… And no Afghan forces or civilians were killed in the fighting. Disguising themselves in Burqas has been one of the techniques used frequently by Taliban insurgents to mislead the security forces and on most of the occasions they have been successful in doing so.

The interior ministry spokesperson, Ghulam Siddique Siddiqui claimed that the insurgents belonged to Haqqani network as the documents seized during the operation indicated their links to the group. The Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid denied that there were Taliban insurgents in the area.

He said, "As the NDS is under pressure from the Wolesi Jirga for failing to control security, it wants to show lawmakers some achievements by conducting such raids." However, it is difficult to believe what the Taliban say in their statements. After almost every attack that causes some damage, they quickly claim the responsibility but after such unsuccessful missions, they deny their involvement. Nonetheless, the most important factor is that such a big plan to cause damage to the capital in the month of Ramadan was foiled and no damage was caused to the city and the people.

For the last few years Taliban have come up with different tactics. They have adopted to carry out lethal attacks in different parts of country which happen to be important in some way or the other. Their main objective has been to let the Afghan authorities and people know that they still have the potential to target any place they want – even the most guarded places.

On the other hand they have also carried out deadly assaults on VIP's; depicting that no one is safe against them. Though their attacks are not like that of a traditional war and have not helped them gain control of the places they attack, they have been able to cast a lasting impact of terror on people's psychology. Today, it is very difficult to think that there is any secure place in Afghanistan that cannot be targeted by Taliban. Moreover, people are psychologically threatened as they fear that Taliban have the capacity to attack any place any time.

It is important to note the nature of the attacks that are carried out by them in different places. In most of their recent attacks they are able to penetrate through a well-guarded and important place, choose a building, strengthen their position over there and keep on targeting the surroundings that happen to be significant government and international buildings, unless they are shot down by the security forces. On most of the occasions they have been able to occupy the place and vie for several hours.

By the time they are dead they have already initiated a wave of fear that travels throughout the area. It is unfortunate to note that Afghan security forces and intelligence agency have not been able to counter their tactics appropriately. It is correct that Afghan forces have fought well soon after the assaults, but it is really important that such attacks should be figured out, as has happened in this particular incident, before they are carried out and Afghan intelligence agency has to play a dominant role in this regard.

For the last few years, Taliban have also been carrying out their attacks through "Spring Offensives". Spring Offensive is intensification in the assaults carried out by Taliban against the Afghan and international security forces in the spring season as during the cold weather it is difficult to carry out such assaults. In the ongoing year, as the spring has already started, Taliban have also announced their Spring Offensive and they have named it Operation Al-Farooq. They initiated it with the attack that was carried out on the foreigners' housing compound in Kabul, which resulted in the death of seven people and injured 17 others.

The attack was carried out few hours after the visit of US President Obama that resulted in the signing of the strategic agreement between Afghanistan and US. Taliban have also made evil commitments that they would continue such attacks on the foreigners and the ones who support them.

It is important to see that Taliban are changing their tactics; therefore the Afghan security forces need to face them with the required preparations. With the changes in the tactics of the militants, it is necessary that there should be changes within the tactics of the security forces to counter them.

There is no doubt that Afghan security force have kept on gaining strength in the last few years. At the same time it is necessary to gauge their capability appropriately and realistically. While praising them for their achievements, it is necessary to highlight their shortcomings as well so that they are able to tackle the situation appropriately.

With the changing nature of the war and the growing responsibility on them, it is necessary that they must be prepared and equipped in the same manner so that they fulfill the growing necessities of time. How well the Afghan security forces are trained and they are ready depends on how well they will counter the Taliban insurgents in the times to come.