Taliban announce 'spring offensive' across Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan - Agence France-Presse

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The Taliban militia announced their "spring offensive" would begin across Afghanistan on Thursday.
 
Code-named Al-Farouq, the primary targets of the offensive would be "foreign invaders, their advisors, their contractors, all those who help them militarily and in intelligence", the militants said on their website.
 
"Al-Farouq spring offensive will be launched on May 3 all over Afghanistan," the militant group said.
 
The militia said the code name came from Islam's second caliph, Omar Al-Farouq known for his military advances in Asia and the Arab world during the 7th century.
 
The announcement comes hours after Taliban insurgents armed with guns, suicide vests and a bomb-laden car attacked a heavily fortified compound used by Westerners in Kabul, killing seven people and wounding more than a dozen.
 
The militants claimed the attack in defiance of US President Barack Obama's call that the war was ending during a visit to Afghanistan on the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death on Wednesday.