Taliban denounces opposition "sabotage" campaign in Kabul

Wednesday, February 23 12:31 AM SGT

KABUL, Feb 22 (AFP) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban Tuesday denounced a wave of bomb attacks in the capital Kabul in recent days as a sabotage campaign mounted by the opposition alliance.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the attacks were "against Islam and the country" and said the opposition was trying to destroy the "security" which existed in areas controlled by the Taliban.

The anti-Taliban alliance "remains in an isolated condition and has lost the ability to resist the forces of the Emirate," he said, referring to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the official name of the regime.

Its isolation had forced it to resort to sabotage, said spokesman Ahmed Faiz citing a ministry spokesman.

The series of explosions in Kabul, which the statement said had not claimed any victims, "reveal to the international community the true face of Afghanistan's external and internal enemies," Faiz added.

Late Monday a bomb exploded at Kabul airport damaging a jet belonging to the national airline Ariana, he said.

In the last few days two other bombs were detonated in Ariana offices in central Kabul, and another near the Interior Ministry.

The Taliban controls about 80 percent of the country, while the opposition led by Ahmed Shah Massoud is active in the Chamali plain to the north of Kabul and in the country's far north-east.

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Les taliban denoncent une campagne de "sabotage" de l'opposition dans Kaboul

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KABOUL 22 fev(AFP) - Les taliban au pouvoir en Afghanistan ont denonce mardi une campagne de sabotage de l'opposition a Kaboul, la capitale afghane qui a ete secouee ces derniers jours plusieurs attentats a la bombe.

Un porte-parole du ministere des Affaires etrangeres a denonce mardi les actes de "sabotage" menes "contre l'Islam et le pays" par l'opposition afin d'aneantir la "securite" qui existe dans les zones controlees par l'Emirat Islamique d'Afghanistan, le nom officiel du regime des "etudiants en theologie".

La coalition anti-taliban "demeure dans une condition d'isolement et a perdu la capacite de resister aux forces de l'Emirat" et doit donc recourir a cette sorte de crimes, a affirme le ministere dans un communique lu par M. Ahmed Faiz.

Les explosions de ces derniers jours -- qui n'ont pas fait de victimes, selon le communique-- "montrent le visage veritable des ennemis interieurs et exterieurs de l'Afghanistan a la communaute internationale", a ajoute M. Faiz.

Lundi soir, une bombe a explose sur l'aeroport de Kaboul et a endommage un appareil de la compagnie Ariana, a precise le porte-parole.

Quelques jours auparavant deux autres bombes avaient explose l'une dans les bureaux de la compagnie aerienne, dans le centre-ville, et l'autre devant le ministere de l'Interieur.

La milice religieuse des taliban controle environ 80% du pays, tandis que l'oppodition du commandant Ahmed Shah Massoud est active dans la plaine de Chamali au nord de Kaboul et dans l'extreme nord-est du pays.

QUOTES:

- remain in an isolated condition and lost the ability to resist the forces of the Emirate.

- reveal the true face of Afghanistan external and internal ennemies to the international community.