Taliban violence remains high in Afghanistan amid peace talk efforts

Thirteen provinces in Afghanistan have over the last two weeks witnessed clashes between the Taliban and the Afghan government, something which the latter has termed as unacceptable.

Thirteen provinces in Afghstan have over the last two weeks witnessed clashes between the Taliban and the Afghan government, something which the latter has termed as unacceptable.

Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said that the Taliban should realize they will not win militarily.

Data shows that clashes between the Afghan government and the Taliban have happened in Parwan, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Zabul, Uruzgan, Kunduz, Balkh, Samangan, Baghlan, Kandahar, Ghor, Badghis and Herat in the past two weeks, reported Tolo news.

The Taliban, have carried out attacks in strategic districts, cities, and highways. Such spates of violence are what they had agreed not to carry on, as part of the peace agreement.

The Taliban attacked a checkpoint of Afghan police in Kunduz city on Sunday, killing nine policemen, according to security sources. On the same day, they attacked an outpost of Afghan forces in highway, killing four security force members, officials and sources said.

The group conducted a suicide car bombing on a convoy of the Afghan National Army in Sayed Abad district, Wardak province, on Monday afternoon in which eight army personnel were killed and nine others wounded.

The Taliban said it was in retaliation for airstrikes on non-combat areas by the forces.

There has been a national and international call on the Taliban to reduce violence and open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations that are expected to be held in Doha in the near future. The Afghan government says the attacks and the high level of violence by the Taliban is unacceptable.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday (July 21), President Gh's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi harshly reacted to recent Taliban attacks and said the group should realize that it will not win militarily and that the Afghan government's silence does not show it is weak, but it shows its strength for the peace efforts.

( With inputs from ANI )