Eight mortar rounds were fired in Logar on Wednesday as President Ashraf Ghani and a high-level delegation made a visit to his home province, during which time he gave a speech pledging to improve the security situation. Ghani pledged to war-weary Afghans that he would mend the fragile security situation and bring peace.

Mortars were also fired when Ghani’s helicopter departed the area after delivering the speech.

“We accept that the Taliban is a reality in Afghanistan, no one can deny this; the peace will come,” said Ghani.

There are no reports of casualties so far.

Residents in Logar have said that the president has made similar commitments in the past, but none of the promises have been fulfilled.

“The elders who represent Logar say that everything is OK in the province, but the problems of Logar must be addressed,” said Abbas Asi, a civil society activist in Logar.

“There was fighting going on along the way and several missiles landed near our house,” said Sayed Reshad, a resident in Logar.

“The arrival of the president in Logar just gave us eight mortars as a gift,” said Sayed Farhad, a tribal elder in Logar.

“I am fully confident that the situation will not remain like this--it is because we are facing structural shortages,” said Nafisah Hejran, a member of Logar's provincial council.

Although Logar is adjacent to Kabul, it is considered one of the most insecure regions in the country because of the presence of Taliban fighters.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/ghani-fired-during-logar-visit-pledges-increased-security