Defence ministry says Taleban stepping up attacks

Taleban insurgents have intensified their attacks in parts of the country ahead of the vital London conference on Afghanistan in ten days’ time, officials said. Addressing a news briefing in Kabul on January 22, the Afghan defence ministry spokesman said “Fourteen insurgents and two Afghan government soldiers were killed in an operation conducted by the Afghan troops on January 21.” The spokesman added that in order to improve the security situation, his ministry has ordered new security posts to be set up in the more volatile parts of the country. According to reliable sources, the southern provinces of the country have witnessed 20 suicide bombings since September 2005.