Following the deteriorating security situation in southern Kandahar province, the Afghan government on Sunday made changes in the top echelon of the state administration. The governor and the NDS chief of the province were replaced with new ones, reported TOLOnews. 

Rohulla Khanzada was appointed as the new governor replacing Hyatullah Hayat while Ata Mohammad Khan took charge of the provincial head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS). 

Hamidullah Mohib, the National Security Advisor, saw the transition in the province on Sunday. 

Interestingly, the removal of the Kandahar governor comes just days after he revealed around 70 percent of the provincial police personnel abandoned their duties and posts in wake of the Taliban offensives. The morale among the state police personnel also plummeted.

In an interview to local media, he said, only 30 percent of Afghan national police are reporting on duty in Kandahar. Reports also indicated the existence of large numbers of ghost soldiers in the province. 

Kandahar is also the birthplace of the Taliban movement. The group emerged in the province in 1994 and received popular support there to establish the law and order. 

In the last three months, the insurgent group has mounted big offensives encircling major city centres. Afghan Air Force and US Forces conducted several airstrikes to put off the Taliban offensives in the province. 

With the change of guard, Kandahar residents expect better security conditions in the province.