MILITANCY SPREADS TO AFGHANISTAN'S NORTHERN PROVINCES

by Tahir Qadiry

(IPS) MAZAR-E-SHARIF -- Militancy, which has turned southern Afghanistan into a conflict zone, has spread to the northern provinces that have been relatively peaceful since the Taliban regime was ousted from Kabul in 2001.

Some 79 people were killed, including six parliamentarians, schoolchildren and teachers, in Baghlan province on Nov. 6 in a suicide attack, the bloodiest incident in six years. An Interior Ministry committee has been despatched to investigate the human bombing by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The attack occurred when the parliamentarians were visiting a sugar cane factory in the industrial city of the province.

Two people, including a spiritual prayer leader, have been detained on charges of the attack.

Mohammad Jamshid, who lost a daughter in the attack, said he has lost confidence in the government's ability to provide security. "My daughter was studying when she was brought to welcome the delegation. She was 12 years old. How dared they kill her?" he lamented. "The government has to give me an answer," he said in tears.

"I lost my 11-year-old daughter," cried Mastora, who is a widow. "Fighting during the Taliban claimed my husband. Now, I lost my daughter. What shall I do? I will never forgive the government," she bitterly added.

The Afghan government immediately announced a compensation of 100,000 Afghanis ($2,000) to the relatives of each victim. The injured would be given 5,000 Afghanis ($100) each.

The families want the government to find the people behind the attack. "I have lost my cousin," said Mohammad Jawad, who runs a shop, "What shall we do with money? What kind of government is it? Why do they not ensure people's security?" he added.

Immediately after the suicide bomb, there were rumours that some of the wounded and the dead had suffered bullet injuries. But that was ruled out by Dr Khalilullah Narmgoi, head of the Baghlan hospital, who told IPS that he could not confirm such a thing. "It was an accusation by people, but I have not seen it. Even, there were rumours that one of the victims, the parliamentarian Syed Mustafa Kazemi, had been shot at. But, the investigations showed it was not true," said Narmgoi.

However, Kazemi's Hezb-e Eqtidar-e Melli Afghanistan said the attack was deliberate. . In a press release, they called for an international investigation into the Ômurder' of their leader and other parliamentarians and people.

Taliban insurgents who have carried out more than 130 suicide attacks in Afghanistan this year, denied they had a hand in the Baghlan attack which was denounced by various groups in Afghanistan, and the international peacekeeping force.

Gen. Dieter Warnecke, commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Regional Command North, called it a "cowardly" attack. He said: "The cowardly suicide attack arouses deep consternation among the ISAF soldiers. It seems to be one of the biggest attacks over the last years."

Mohammad Alam Ishaqzai, governor of Baghlan province, called it a suicide attack and said the government's enemies were behind it.

Speaking to IPS he said: "It was a terrorist act. We cannot accuse any particular party for the attack, but it was done by the government's and people's enemies."

The governor, who was accused of wavering over ensuring adequate security for the visiting parliamentarian, said the authorities had not expected an attack on such a scale.

"Northern Baghlan has always been safe. Who knew what was to happen?" he added. The dead parliamentarians were Sayed Mustafa Kazemi, spokesman for the United Front Line and head of the economic commission of the Afghan parliament, Shibur Rehman Himmat, Sibghatullah Zaki, Muhammad Arif Zarif, Abdul Matin and Nazak Mir Sarfaraz.

The governor admitted that the suicide bomber blew himself up just when schoolboys had lined up to greet the parliamentary delegation. But he said it was too early to announce who was behind the attack.

Gen. Abdul Jamil, chief of the Baghlan security command, has accused the Taliban insurgents of the attack.

"Taliban have always been behind the suicide attacks in Afghanistan. This could have been done by them," he added saying the investigations will soon reveal the truth.

Rohullah Mojadidi, a political analyst in Mazar-e Sharif, commented that the Taliban are flexing muscles in the north of Afghanistan as well.

"Taliban are regrouping in the northern provinces," said Mojadidi "They are coming from the south to disrupt the security situation here. It is now up to the government to take decisive measures to defuse their attacks and eliminate them in the region, before they infiltrate."