Ghani urges Taliban to end violence, start talks

Kabul, June 28 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has urged the Taliban to end the continued violence in the country and instead come forward to start the intra-Afghan talks.

Speaking to Senators at the Presidential Palace on Saturday, Ghani stressed the need for a swift start to the intra-Afghan peace process, TOLO News reported.

"Referring to the increased violence by the Taliban, the President stressed the need for an end to the violence to help kick start intra-Afghan talks as soon as possible," the Presidential Palace said in a statement quoting Ghani as saying.

Ghani's remarks came just hours after an explosion in Kabul struck a vehicle claiming the lives of two employees of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet.

On Friday, Afghan security sources told TOLO News that fighting between the Taliban and security forces is ongoing in at least 15 out of 34 provinces.

Recent battles between the sides have claimed the lives of 15 soldiers in the past 24 ours.

( With inputs from IANS )