Afghan Taliban announce spring offensive from 24/4

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday announced they will launch their annual "spring offensive" from April 24, vowing attacks across the country at a time when US-led foreign forces are pulling back from the frontlines.

The militants have already stepped up attacks on government and foreign targets in recent weeks, with Afghan security forces bracing for what is expected to be the bloodiest fighting season in a 

decade.

It will be the first fighting season in which Afghan security forces will battle the insurgents without the full support of NATO combat forces. "The Islamic Emirate is going to launch the spring operations under the inspirational name of 'Azm' (determination) at 5 am on 24th April 2015," the Taliban said in a statement, using their official name.

"The main targets of these operations... will be the foreign occupiers, especially their permanent military bases... officials of the stooge regime, their military constellations, especially their 

intelligence, interior ministry and defence ministry officials." 

NATO's combat mission formally ended in December but a small follow-up foreign force has stayed on to train and support local security personnel.

President Barack Obama last month announced a delay in US troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, an overture to the country's new reform-minded leader, President Ashraf Ghani.

Hosting Ghani at the White House for their first presidential face-to-face meeting, Obama agreed to keep the current level of 9,800 US troops until the end of 2015.