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Arab Mujahiddin Pour Into Afghanistan
By Aamir Latif
KANDAHAR, Oct 5 (IslamOnline) - Fearing imminent U.S. air strikes, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia has started shifting warplanes and ammunition from military installations and airbases to underground bunkers and mountains, a top Taliban security official said on Friday.
A decision to this effect was taken in a cabinet meeting held Thursday with Supreme Leader Mullah Muhammad Omer in Kandahar.
"The cabinet opted for this decision observing that [the] USA would not go for ground attack on Afghanistan immediately, despite big boasts in this regard. However, it may go for air strikes. Therefore, the cabinet decided to shift the warplanes and ammunition to safer places to keep them protected from air strikes," the official said.
Meanwhile, some 6,000 trained mujahiddin (soldiers) from various Arab countries have joined Taliban forces to defend war-torn Afghanistan from an imminent, devastating U.S. attack, the official said.
"These mujahiddin belong to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Algeria and Oman, whom have recently joined us in our war against the biggest terrorist in the world," he said, adding they "have been deployed in Khost and Harrat".
According to Taliban sources, the mujahiddin were persuaded by the newly appointed commander-in-chief of Taliban forces, Maulana Jalaluddin Haqqani to come to Afghanistan to assist the ruling militia.
About 6,000 troops have also been deployed along the Pak-Afghan border from Thorkhum to Chaman. Renowned Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah is leading them.
"So far, around 30,000 troops have been deployed in different parts of the city, including [the] Pak-Afghan and Afghan-Iran borders," the security official said.
"Yesterday, around 7,000 trained mujahiddin from three provinces have also joined us in Kandahar," he maintained. Out of them, 4,000, led by Mullah Akhund, are from Paktia, 2,000, led by Haji Habibullah, are from Kunar and 1,000, led by Mullah Muhammad Dand, are from Khost.
The Afghan official also confirmed reports that a tribal force, comprising some 50,000
mujahiddin and established by the chiefs of Pakistan's tribal areas, were ready to join Taliban forces anytime.
Meanwhile, the Taliban's Mullah Omer - in his sixth consecutive message - urged the Afghan people to unite and get ready to meet the "enemy's attack".
"Remove the signs of timidity and get ready for jihad [struggle] against [the]
kuffar [disbelievers]," he said in a message broadcast by Radio Kabul.
He said the mujahiddin would convert the streets of Afghanistan into "graveyards of American troops".
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