Rare Insider Attack Kills 16 Afghan Intelligence Operatives in Helmand

[Zarvan]

FILE - A U.S. Marine takes part during a training session for Afghan army commandos in Shorab military camp in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 27, 2017.

ISLAMABAD —
Officials in Afghanistan say four operatives of the national intelligence agency have gunned down their 16 colleagues before fleeing to join the Taliban insurgency in the southern Helmand province.

The rare overnight “insider” attack took place at a facility linked to the National Directorate of Security or NDS in the Gerishk district, security sources told VOA Sunday.

Omar Zawak, the provincial government spokesman, confirmed the incident saying the Taliban also assaulted the NDS Center while the insider attack was under way, sparking fierce clashes with Afghan security guards.

Zawak said both sides suffered heavy casualties but would not give further details.

Map showing Helmand province, Afghanistan

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out by three “infiltrators” who seized all weapons and equipment at the facility.

The slain Afghan personnel belonged to the “Songaryan” unit working for NDS in Helmand. The unit is named after a popular a Turkish television soap opera and has been playing a key role in gathering intelligence for NDS on the Taliban in volatile districts of Helmand.

Taliban sympathizers or infiltrators in Afghan army and police forces routinely carry out insider attacks, but such incidents are extremely rare at NDS-related installations in Afghanistan.

The insurgency controls or contests most of the 14 districts in Helmand, the largest Afghan province and one of the world’s major poppy producing regions.

The illegal narcotics trade funds 65 percent of insurgent activities, and the U.S. military has recently unleashed a new air campaign to destroy drug labs in a bid to disrupt Taliban financial resources in Helmand, which borders Pakistan.

https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanist...48.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

[Dalit]

Have they blamed Pakistan yet?

 

[Sugarcane]

Good riddance

 

[Enigma_]

War going well I see. What a joke, build that damn fence ASAP.

 

[Path-Finder]

you know this is strange because khad which was the nds made by the soviets in the 80's suffered from similar issues. Khad had its members running a mock of their own organisation. NDS is following the same path.

 

[BHarwana]

ISLAMABAD —
Officials in Afghanistan say four operatives of the national intelligence agency have gunned down their 16 colleagues before fleeing to join the Taliban insurgency in the southern Helmand province.

The rare overnight “insider” attack took place at a facility linked to the National Directorate of Security or NDS in the Gerishk district, security sources told VOA Sunday.

Omar Zawak, the provincial government spokesman, confirmed the incident saying the Taliban also assaulted the NDS Center while the insider attack was under way, sparking fierce clashes with Afghan security guards.

Zawak said both sides suffered heavy casualties but would not give further details.

Map showing Helmand province, Afghanistan
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out by three “infiltrators” who seized all weapons and equipment at the facility.

The slain Afghan personnel belonged to the “Songaryan” unit working for NDS in Helmand. The unit is named after a popular a Turkish television soap opera and has been playing a key role in gathering intelligence for NDS on the Taliban in volatile districts of Helmand.

Taliban sympathizers or infiltrators in Afghan army and police forces routinely carry out insider attacks, but such incidents are extremely rare at NDS-related installations in Afghanistan.

The insurgency controls or contests most of the 14 districts in Helmand, the largest Afghan province and one of the world’s major poppy producing regions.

The illegal narcotics trade funds 65 percent of insurgent activities, and the U.S. military has recently unleashed a new air campaign to destroy drug labs in a bid to disrupt Taliban financial resources in Helmand.



https://www.voanews.com/a/afghanistan-helmand-afghan-intelligence-attack/4248648.html

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

US presence in Afghanistan is a joke.

 

[undercover JIX]

S Wing is fully operational, lets write one more book.

But Taliban need safe heavens in Pakistan according to USA. dehati aurat 2.0

 

[Mrc]

These things happens when some are disgusted to see their colleagues getting involved in abuses and bacha baazi

 

[LeGenD]

US presence in Afghanistan is a joke.

US has conducted many operations in Afghanistan over the course of years, to no avail.

The amount of munitions US has expended in Afghanistan since 2001 is more than enough to reduce a country the size of Pakistan to stone age [TWICE]. And situation is still in front of you.

Afghanistan is a lost cause for political reforms; a nation of absolutely janglee people who will never learn and/or refrain from bacha-bazi.

Trump administration has given up on political reforms in Afghanistan and has authorized US military to do its bidding in Afghanistan (i.e. appease the Military Industrial Complex ).

 

[YeBeWarned]

And here people are already performing oral on USA lol ...anyways Afghanistan is a USA failure either they like it or not facts speak for itself unless you want to see it through "alternative facts " lol

 

[LeGenD]

Afghanistan represents a "global" failure because it was turned into a 'graveyard of empires' for (former) USSR and left to its own devices afterwards. Then Taliban emerged and stabilized much of the country but they fell for the charms of the notorious Al-Qaeda Network and they were ousted from power consequently. Now, an Afghan government exist and struggling for legitimacy but its adversaries are elusive and barbaric.

What can US (or any country) do to reform Afghanistan? Not much.

American mission was to eradicate Al-Qaeda Network and introduce an alternative to Taliban-led leadership in Afghanistan; they have accomplished both objectives. However, Afghanistan is not returning to normalcy due to numerous factors.

Let us see if Trump administration will achieve a breakthrough or not.