HARIPUR, Oct 17: Over 2,000 Afghans, living in refugee camps in Haripur, are ready to join Taliban forces within the next few days in case the US-led coalition launches a ground offensive against the Taliban government.

The refugees have expressed their resolve to stand by the Taliban government, following a religious decree issued by Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar exhorting the Muslims all over the world to wage jihad against the United States.

The local administration, however, has finalized a plan to tackle with such a situation effectively, Dawn learnt from reliable sources here the other day.

According to sources close to the Haripur-based a Shoora of the Afghan Ulem, over 2,000 trained youngsters had got their names registered for jihad against the US-led forces in Afghanistan.

“They all are well trained in warfare and know how to deal with enemy”, said a member of the Shoora when he was asked to comment on the ground attacks expected to be launched against the Taliban government.

It may be recalled that a local Shoora of the Afghan Ulema had, at a recently-held meeting, expressed solidarity with the Taliban government and had promised to send jihadis to reinforce the Taliban forces.

It was learnt that the Shoora would send the reinforcement in groups, comprising 200 jihadis each, clandestinely. However, to preempt such a situation, the local administration was said to have deployed heavy contingents of police and frontier constabulary personnel near the refugee camps.

The administration has confined the refugees to their camps, but a number of daily-wage earners manage to sneak into different city areas apparently for earning their livelihood.