Military officials on Tuesday said the Afghan security forces have shut down one of the Taliban’s strategic supply routes in the south-east – a gravel road through Dand-e-Ptan district of Paktia province near the Durand Line.



According to the officials permanent security check points will be established in the area so as to ensure the route stays closed to the Taliban.

Officials said the supply route, known as Enzergai Kando, provided a route for the Taliban to cross the Durand Line and continue on to Khost, Logar and Ghazni provinces.

“This area was important because the Taliban used it as a supply route and the Taliban had been using it for their movements between Afghanistan and Pakistan and were carrying out operations from this area to other provinces. This has great significance for the Afghan government. Last night we carried out an operation there and completely cleaned the area of armed Taliban,” said Colonel Abdul Mateen Sulaimankhail, the commander of the second division of the Afghan Commando Unit, which is currently in the area.

“The future plan of 203 Thunder Army Corps is to establish border check points in areas including Khowjkaram, Enzergai Kando, and Nari Kando,” said Brigadier General Shaur Gul Pashtun, the commander of 203 Thunder Army Corps in the eastern zone.

“Our request from the Muqbel tribe is that we want to recruit members of the public uprising forces to the ranks of the national army and national police, so get your sons ready for this so that they can contribute in the defense of their country; all security forces are standing alongside you,” said Paktia governor Shamim Khan Katawazai.

Meanwhile, a number of residents in Muqbel Dara Valley of Dand-e-Ptan district have called on the Afghan government to embark on development projects in the area in order to improve their lives.

“Before the Taliban were in this area, whether it was good times or bad, this episode has passed now, we are happy that the security forces have not created any problems for us, the government has to build roads for us,” said a resident of Muqbel Dara Valley, Akbar Shah.

“The Taliban has inflicted a lot of pain on us,” said another resident Sialdin.

Security officials have pledged to hire over three hundred members of public uprising forces to serve together with the Afghan border police in order to boost the security situation in the region.