KABUL : Afghan militants ramp up suicide strikes : experts

KABUL - A recent wave of suicide attacks in Afghanistan with mass civilian casualties shows that insurgents are waging a war now in its tenth year have resorted to the bombing of targets 'soft', officials and experts.

Over the last three weeks more than 100 people, most of them innocent bystanders, were killed in six suicide attacks. The government, NATO and a U.S. official said the apparent new tactic proves activists Running Scared.

But not everyone agrees.

Monday 'a suicide bombing killed 31 people at the Government Office for the North, while the troubled country on Saturday, saw its deadly attack since June, when 38 deaths in the banking sector Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan.

Capital Kabul has been hit by large-scale attacks, including a supermarket popular with Westerners and a mall that leads to safety in the streets has increased in recent days.

Experts say go for such a "soft" targets signal a change from recent months where the Taliban has focused his campaign on cluster bombs by the roadside, exchanges of fire with foreign troops and attacks suicide on security objectives.

Government officials insist the change is a sign of military progress against the Taliban in the wake of the strategy to increase U.S. President Barack Obama.

"A change of tactics is very clear," said Zemarai Bashary, spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

"Why can not we use military institutions ... attacks against civilian targets, soft targets."

Bashary, insisted that the number of suicide attacks that are not in the whole country had fallen so much.

U.S. Ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry said the "terrorist attacks in a way represents the increase in our We are a classic counter-insurgency operations on the ground."

But other experts believe the Islamists could be "showing your teeth" as a warning before the expected attack by international forces in the spring.

Taliban often shy to admit that killing civilians, has denied he is now focusing on individuals.

Rebel spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a recent peak of activity was related to better weather, which allowed its fighters to operate freely during the winter snow.

"Our country is invaded and we will do everything to keep attacking the enemy," he told AFP.

The NATO-led international Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which will begin withdrawals restricted safer parts of Afghanistan in July in anticipation of an expected transition to the safety of Afghans in 2014, allowing more foreign troops return home.

Tens of thousands of NATO and Afghan security forces pushed the Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan has significant activities in 2010, nine years, the United States-led invasion ousted the Taliban's power.

Military commanders say that the hunt will continue for years to completely eradicate the insurgent haven.

"The insurgency now, obviously, tends to target soft targets, civilians other words," said ISAF spokesman Brigadier General Joseph Blotzer.

He said such tactics were "a kind of weakness to an enemy that obviously can not cope with the Afghan national security forces and ISAF."

Haroun Mir, an analyst with the Afghanistan Center for Research and Policy Studies, said the recent upsurge of violence represents a show of force by the Islamist rebels, before the offensive in the spring.

"The Taliban may be showing his teeth," he told AFP. "In recent months we have had no major attacks in Kabul. These days all of a sudden you see an increase."

But he said the nature and location of attacks may indicate the involvement of the rebels other than the Taliban - such as the Haqqani network and militant members of al-Qaeda considers to be based in neighboring Pakistan.

"Quetta Shura Taliban ... they have less access to Kabul, in fact, the largest attack in Kabul is that the Haqqani network, which are closer to the (East)," he added.

Others said the change of tactics against high-impact attacks against the Taliban could be a way to try to increase recruitment, before the fighting season, which is expected to begin in earnest around April or May.

Another analyst Waheed Mujda said the attacks were part of the strategy of the Taliban "to keep alive the idea of war, why would they return after the winter, and to recruit new fighters and their spring campaign.