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Wave of violence hit Afghanistan even as the Kabul and Taliban negotiators engage in peace talks to end the nearly two-decades-long war
AT News
KABUL: The Taliban militants just intensified violence in different parts of the country just hours after the United States reduced its troop level to 2,500.
The insurgents exploded an explosive-laden vehicle at a special unit of police in Kandahar province. The attack was followed by another incident in Herat province in which Taliban infiltrators opened fire at a group of public uprising force (a militia-style force funded by government in remote areas where army and police are not available), killing at least 12.
In Northern Province of Balkh, eight militants were killed and 11 injured during a counterattack by security forces. In Baghlan, another province in the north the militants killed one soldier and wounded two more, while they also set six oil tankers on fire and took seven people hostage.
Two police officers were killed by a magnetic bomb attached to their vehicle in the capital Kabul. The incident left one officer injured.The recent attacks that began a few hours of the US announcement over soldier pullout, concerns people and regional states such as Iran, Pakistan, Russia and China about security situation, who call for a responsible US withdrawal to help stability in Afghanistan.
Mohammad Yousuf Ayoubi, head of provincial council in northern province of Kunduz said Saturday that at least 10 members of security forces were killed and 12 more wounded in clashes with Taliban fighters in the Imam Saheb district.
Mirza Mohammad Yarmand, former deputy interior minister, said that the US withdrawal would affect the peace process in Afghanistan as well as management of war and the security forces’ capability.
Rahmatullah Andar, Spokesman at the National Security Council, assured that the US military pullout would not put a negative impact on the situation of Afghan security forces.
Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had warned of a hasty US withdrawal that he believes would change Afghanistan to a safe haven for terrorists once again.
New wave of violence unleashed at a time when representatives from Kabul and Taliban are currently in the Qatari capital Doha, discussing the agenda for the talks to end the deadly war and reach to apolitical settlement.
