Taliban call for jihad and boycott of Afghan elections

"To achieve real independence instead of going to fake election centres, they must go to jihadi trenches, and through resistance and jihad they must free their invaded country from the invaders," AFP

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The Taliban demanded Thursday that Afghans boycott August 20 presidential elections and instead "free their invaded country" through holy war.

In a media statement, the Islamist militia ordered its fighters to block all roads on the eve of Afghanistan's second presidential ballot and stop voters from going to polling stations.[...]

The Taliban statement called for attacks on "enemy centres", understood to refer mainly to bases of Western and Afghan forces.[...]

Mujahedin (holy fighters) "must launch operations against enemy centres," said the statement signed by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which means the Taliban.

"They must prevent people from attending the elections and one day before the elections all roads and highways must be totally closed to government and civilian vehicles, and they must inform people," it said.