News - Afghanistan

Iran and Pakistan support the Taliban insurgents and provoke violence in the country, a high-ranking police official in southern Afghanistan claimed on Monday.

General Abdul Razeq, the former commander of border police forces in the south, who currently holds the post of Kandahar Police Chief, said militants have safe havens in the two neigbouring countries.

Ninety percent of the Taliban leaders are living in safe havens in Pakistan and the remaining ten percent are staying in Iran, General Razeq said.

General Razeq was in charge of border forces in border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan for several years.

"We are not killers and we are obliged to terminate anybody who is trying to ruin our country. We won't surrender to them. The insurgents have been imposed on us by our neighbours," Gen. Razeq said.

Southern regions of the country, in particular Kandahar and Helmand, have long been the scene of some of the deadliest attacks by the Taliban and there is still little hope that violence will lessen in southern parts.

A couple of days ago as part of security handover process, international troops handed over security responsibilities of Lashkargah, the provincial capital in Helmand province, to Afghan security forces.