KABUL- Taliban militants in Afghanistan today announced to launch their spring offensive within days.
"The spring operation code named, Khyber will be launched at 05:00 a.m. local time on Monday May 12, 2014 across Afghanistan against invading forces with the objective to get the country's freedom from infields," said a statement today posted on Taliban's website. Khyber is the name of one of the famous wars of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) which happened in the seventh year of Prophet migration from Mecca to Medina that led to Muslims victory in the Arab peninsula.
A mountain pass linking Afghanistan and neighbor Pakistan also named Khyber. "All foreign invading forces, their spies, their interpreters, their civilian and military contractors and anyone supporting foreign invasion is legitimate targets and will be attacked," said the statement. "Ranking government officials, cabinet members, members of parliament, and security personnel, judges, prosecutors and members of security agency are legitimate targets," the statement said.
In the statement, the Taliban, besides calling upon Afghans to stop working with the government, vowed to continue Jihad or holy war till the eviction of all foreign forces from the country. Taliban militants in 2013 launched their offensive on May 28, which, according to Afghan security officials, had no achievement except little media propaganda. No government official was immediately available to make comment on Taliban plan to launch new spring offensive.