5 Killed in Military Attacks in Afghanistan
MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Dispatches) – Five people including a civilian have been confirmed dead as militants stormed a security checkpoint in Charkent district of the northern Balkh province, district governor Salima Mazari said Tuesday.
A group of the armed militants, according to the official, attacked a security checkpoint in Parabarat village of the restive district at 03:30 a.m. local time on Monday, killing four pro-government militia members and a woman villager.
Six more villagers were wounded due to the firing, the official said.
Taliban have yet to comment.
A week-long partial truce has come into effect across Afghanistan after the United States, the Taliban militant group and Afghan forces agreed to a so-called "reduction in violence” in the war-torn country on Saturday.
The development came after the United States and the Taliban agreed to sign a deal at the end of February aimed at ending America’s longest war.
The two sides have been in talks over the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in return for security guarantees from the militant group.
Details of how exactly the truce will work have remained scant.
Talks restarted in Qatar later in December last year, but were suspended again following an attack near the Bagram military base in Afghanistan, which is run by the U.S.
The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and overthrew a Taliban regime in power at the time. But U.S. troops have remained bogged down there through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump.
The invasion deposed the Taliban, but the group has never ceased its operations across Afghanistan, and has vowed to keep up its attacks until the withdrawal of all U.S. troops.
Nearly two decades on, Washington is seeking a truce with the militants, who now control or have influence in about half of Afghanistan’s territory.
There are now about 13,000 U.S. troops as well as thousands of other NATO personnel in Afghanistan.
A group of the armed militants, according to the official, attacked a security checkpoint in Parabarat village of the restive district at 03:30 a.m. local time on Monday, killing four pro-government militia members and a woman villager.
Six more villagers were wounded due to the firing, the official said.
Taliban have yet to comment.
A week-long partial truce has come into effect across Afghanistan after the United States, the Taliban militant group and Afghan forces agreed to a so-called "reduction in violence” in the war-torn country on Saturday.
The development came after the United States and the Taliban agreed to sign a deal at the end of February aimed at ending America’s longest war.
The two sides have been in talks over the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in return for security guarantees from the militant group.
Details of how exactly the truce will work have remained scant.
Talks restarted in Qatar later in December last year, but were suspended again following an attack near the Bagram military base in Afghanistan, which is run by the U.S.
The U.S. invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and overthrew a Taliban regime in power at the time. But U.S. troops have remained bogged down there through the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and now Donald Trump.
The invasion deposed the Taliban, but the group has never ceased its operations across Afghanistan, and has vowed to keep up its attacks until the withdrawal of all U.S. troops.
Nearly two decades on, Washington is seeking a truce with the militants, who now control or have influence in about half of Afghanistan’s territory.
There are now about 13,000 U.S. troops as well as thousands of other NATO personnel in Afghanistan.