A special unit of Taliban militants ambushed a convoy of Afghan security forces Tuesday night, killing 34 even as the insurgent group holds peace talks with the Kabul government to end the 19-year war. .
The night attack by Taliban fighters, some armed with night vision goggles and laser-assisted rifles, took place in northern Afghanistan as the convoy was heading to the city of Takhar, said Jawad Hejri, a spokesman for the province. Hejri said that many soldiers and policemen were injured and are still missing. Abdul Qayum, the head of the province’s public health department, confirmed the death toll by phone.
The attack is the worst in two weeks after a multi-day battle in the southern Helmand province displaced some 30,000 Afghans and caused heavy casualties on both sides. Another suicide car bombing in Ghor on Sunday, which Kabul blamed on insurgents, killed 15 people and injured more than 80.
The Taliban have continued to increase violent pressure as talks are held in Doha between the group and the Afghan government. They still have to agree on even the most basic issues. These include rules of procedure and whether a landmark February agreement between Washington and the Taliban should serve as the basis for the talks.
Violent leverage
The Kabul administration has accused the insurgents of mounting attacks across the country in an attempt to gain influence in the negotiations. The Taliban have not commented on the ambush, and Hejri said the insurgents also suffered heavy casualties.
The talks began after the United States signed the agreement with the Taliban calling for the departure of all foreign military forces by May 2021. However, US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he wants all US forces in Afghanistan return home before Christmas, comments that the Taliban welcomed.
Experts have said the ongoing violence imposed by the Taliban is a concern that would be compounded if the Americans left before intra-Afghan peace talks make real progress. Afghanistan is the site of the longest war in the United States, with 5,000 American soldiers currently serving there. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and cost the United States nearly a trillion dollars since its invasion in 2001.
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