Afghan authorities said on Sunday they need installed an anti-missile system at Kabul airport to counter incoming rockets, because the Taliban pressed on with a blistering offensive across the country.
Washington and its allies are because of end their operation in Afghanistan at the tip of next month, at the same time as the insurgents say they now control 85% of the country — a claim that might not be independently verified and is disputed by the govt.
The Islamic fundamentalist group’s rapid gains in recent weeks have raised fears about the safety of the capital and its airport, with NATO keen to secure a significant exit route to the surface world for foreign diplomats and aid workers.
“The newly installed air arms has been operational in Kabul since 2:00 am Sunday,” the inside Ministry said in an exceedingly statement. “The system has proven useful within the world in repelling rocket and missile attacks.”
Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told AFP it had been installed at the airport, though officials failed to offer details about the kind of system or who had installed it. But Afghan security forces spokesman Ajmal Omar Shinwari said the system was given by “our foreign friends”.
Regular attacks
The Taliban have regularly launched rockets and mortars at government forces across the countryside, with the jihadist Islamic State group concluding similar strikes on the capital in 2020. Over the years, the U.S. military installed several C-RAMs (Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar Systems) across its bases, including at Bagram, to destroy incoming rockets targeting the facilities, a remote security official and media reports said. The C-RAMS includes cameras to detect incoming rockets and alert local forces.
Turkey has promised to supply security for Kabul airport once the U.S. and NATO troops leave next month.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey and therefore the u. s. had agreed on the “scope” of how the airport would be managed under the control of Turkish forces.