Dozens killed in widespread insurgent attacks over past few days

At least 20 people, including two district police chiefs, have been killed in Taliban attacks over the past few days – along with Monday’s killing of 13 Afghan security force members in Kunduz, reports indicate. 

The uptick in attacks by the Taliban comes amid ongoing calls for a reduction in violence and the urgent need for peace talks. 

Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, have frequently called on the Taliban to reduce violence and agree to a ceasefire. 

However, although the Taliban has refrained from launching attacks on US forces since the landmark Doha agreement in February, the group has continued its campaign of violence against Afghan security forces. 

Despite a discussion on Friday between Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah with US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, where he also called for urgent peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, attacks by the Taliban have continued unabated. 

Reports indicate that early Monday about 13 Afghan security forces members were killed in two Taliban attacks in the northern province of Kunduz. The Taliban reportedly also sustained casualties.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Twitter Monday that numerous security force members had been killed and wounded but he made no mention of Taliban casualties.  

In another attack, on Sunday, three Taliban militants were killed while an Afghan Local Police (ALP) member and a civilian were wounded during a clash at a checkpoint. 

Also on Sunday, two insurgents were killed and a police officer was wounded after the Taliban attacked a checkpoint in southern Helmand province. 

On Saturday night, four Afghan police officers, including a district police chief, were killed in an IED explosion in eastern Paktika province. 

In a similar attack, also on Saturday, in southern Zabul province, another police chief and a police officer were killed. Six other police officers were wounded. 

The same night, three pro-government militiamen and three Taliban insurgents were killed in clashes at a checkpoint in Ghazni province. 

Also on Saturday night, three civilians were killed and at least eight others wounded in a Taliban rocket attack in Kapisa province. 

But in a statement issued on Sunday by the Taliban, the group stated the Afghan government had failed to uphold its end of the agreement and release all prisoners as agreed earlier this year. 

Kabul, however, states it has already freed over 4,000 prisoners but that the remaining 600 are “too dangerous” to release. 

The Taliban said in the statement: “The completion of the prisoner exchange process is one of the most fundamental issues of this [negotiation] process on top of which an end must also be put to violations which have seen an uptick in recent days.”

Meanwhile acting US ambassador to Kabul Ross Wilson said in a tweet on Sunday: “The Afghan people have made clear their impatience. Start intra-Afghan negotiations now so that discussions on a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire can begin.”