KABUL, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Afghan government's chief of army staff Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat on Friday downplayed an attack on Yaftal-e-Payeen district in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province as an attempt to spread propaganda, saying no so-called opposition outfits can resist the government's forces.
"Different so-called groups such as Resistance Front, Freedom Front and Sepahian-e-Maihan (means "soldiers of country"), which exist only in name and not in reality, are making propaganda to hoist a flag, but in fact these so-called opposition groups cannot resist our security forces," the local media outlet TOLOnews quoted Fitrat as saying on Friday night.
Describing the attackers as "troublemakers," Fitrat said that the arrested individuals during the investigation revealed their affiliation with Sepahian-e-Maihan, a new armed opposition group, which announced its existence by briefly overrunning Yaftal-e-Payeen district in Badakhshan.
The reported attack occurred early Friday.
Fitrat, who visited Badakhshan shortly after the attack on Yaftal-e-Payeen district to assess the situation, emphasized that security is tight in Badakhshan and the security forces would foil any attempts to undermine peace and stability in the country.
Earlier on Friday, a statement from the Badakhshan provincial police office confirmed the incident, saying a "number of irresponsible armed persons attacked Yaftal-e-Payeen district late Thursday when senior security officials were on holiday, but were dispersed within hours after the arrival of security forces in the area."
Some of the rebels have been arrested and operations are ongoing to arrest and bring to justice all those involved in the spiteful conspiracy. ■
