Taliban Announce ‘Spring Offensive’ amid Afghan Peace Push

By Staff, Agencies

The Taliban militant group on Friday announced their annual spring offensive, which comes as the US and Afghan politicians try to negotiate for a peace settlement with them.

So-called operation Fath -- which means "victory" in Arabic -- will be conducted across Afghanistan claiming that their aim is to "eradicate occupation" and "cleanse our Muslim homeland from invasion and corruption", the Taliban said in a statement.

The annual spring offensive traditionally marks the start of the so-called fighting season, though the announcement is largely symbolic as in recent winters the Taliban have continued fighting Afghan and US forces.

"Our Jihadi obligation has not yet ended," the Taliban claimed.

"Even as large parts of our homeland have been freed from the enemy, yet the foreign occupying forces continue exercising military and political influence in our Islamic country."

For his part, Qais Mangal, a spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said the Taliban's spring offensive is "mere propaganda."

"The Taliban will not reach their vicious goals and their operations will be defeated like previous years," Mangal said.

After suffering horrific bloodshed in 2018, Kabul has in recent weeks enjoyed something of a lull in violence.

But on Monday three US Marines were killed in a Taliban attack at Bagram air base north of the city, and authorities in the capital are on high alert.

The administration of President Ashraf Ghani recently declared its own spring offensive, Operation Khalid, and the Taliban used that announcement as a justification for launching its new push.