US military confirms increasing militancy in Afghanistan

The US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan Saturday confirmed the increasing militancy in Afghanistan, particularly in the areas along the border with Pakistan.

"The number and severity of attacks against Afghan and coalition forces has increased compared to the winter. The areas that might have increased actually primarily are along the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan," US military spokeswoman Cindy Moore told journalists here.

Her remarks came just after a series of violent attacks conducted by suspected Taliban operatives on Afghan and US troops over the past two weeks, in which more than 10 people including four US soldiers were killed and a dozen injured.

"There are other areas that have seen some attacks. But I would say primarily along with border of Pakistan and Afghanistan," she noted.

However, she ruled out the possibility of Pakistan's involvement in the cross border militancy, adding that the "government of Pakistan supports the government of Afghanistan in time to get rid of insurgents."

Former Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, in a statement from an undisclosed location last month, vowed to intensify attacks against the Afghan and US-dominated foreign troops when the weather gets warm.

"We have a great more aggressive patrol due to the possibility of increased activity as the winter weather has disappeared and the warmer weather is upon us," the US military officer noted.