’Taliban want Ghazni as gateway to Kabul’ KABUL: The governor of the southern province of Ghazni has said Taliban fighters from the south and south-east are trying to use the province as the frontline in their bid to capture Kabul. Dr Osman Osmani, the province’s third governor this year, said an increase in militant activity in his region was a sign that Taliban commanders wanted to make the province a gateway for their fighters to move into Kabul via. Osmani said he had received reports that militants from the south and south-east had gathered in Ghazni to step up the insurgency. Ghazni shares its border with seven other provinces, which are among some of the most dangerous in the country. The Taliban have increased their attacks in Ghazni and have expanded their operations to the outskirts of the city, Osmani said. The news comes the day after the Taliban executed two women accused of running a prostitution racket for NATO soldiers in Ghazni. On Sunday, militants said the women were killed for aiding police, but a video tape released on Monday shows fighters claiming the two were executed for providing prostitutes to soldiers working for NATO’s Provincial Reconstruction Team. Security around the city has been tightened: a 100-strong special security force made up of Afghan soldiers and policemen is on stand-by if militants threaten to attack the city, the governor said. Osmani said he was reforming local administration by ridding it of corruption in an attempt to reduce public dissatisfaction with the government. "Three district chiefs have been replaced during my job here in the past three weeks," said Osmani. End.