A 3-day cease-fire marked by violent assaults “some claimed by the Islamic State group” ended Sunday in Afghanistan amid requires renewed peace talks between the federal government and Taliban.
Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen mentioned the negotiating groups of the federal government and the Islamic Emirate, because the Taliban consult with their ousted regime, met briefly Saturday within the Middle Eastern State of Qatar. They renewed their dedication to discovering a peaceable finish to the warfare and referred to as for an early begin to talks which were stalled, he mentioned.
The US has been urgent for accelerated talks because it withdraws the final of its 2,500-3,500 troopers and NATO its remaining 7,000 allied forces.
Even because the Taliban and authorities signed on to the cease-fire, which was declared to mark the Islamic vacation of Eid-al-Fitr, violence continued unabated in Afghanistan. A bombing Friday in a mosque north of the capital killed 12 worshippers, together with the prayer chief. Another 15 individuals had been wounded. The Taliban denied involvement and blamed the federal government intelligence company. No one claimed accountability for the assault.
IS, nonetheless, claimed it blew up a number of electrical grid stations over the weekend. That left the capital Kabul at midnight for a lot of the three-day vacation that adopted the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
In posts on its affiliated web sites, IS claimed further assaults during the last two weeks that destroyed 13 electrical grid stations in a number of provinces. The stations convey imported energy from the Central Asian nations of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The assaults have left 9 provinces together with Kabul with disrupted energy provides, mentioned Sanger Niazai, a authorities spokesman. There was additionally concern that native warlords, demanding safety cash from the federal government to safeguard stations in areas they management, could have been behind among the destruction.
At least one native warlord was arrested final yr after demanding safety cash.
The seemingly unstoppable violence in Afghanistan has residents and regional nations fearful the ultimate withdrawal of US and NATO troopers may result in additional chaos. Washington mentioned it desires its final soldier out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11 on the newest, however the withdrawal is progressing shortly and a Western official acquainted with the exit mentioned it’s prone to be accomplished by early July. He spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of particulars of the withdrawal will not be being made public.
On Saturday, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed concern concerning the fast withdrawal of US and NATO forces in a telephone name with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Wang referred to as the withdrawal hasty and warmed it could “severely” impression the Afghan peace course of and negatively have an effect on regional stability, He referred to as on the United Nations to play a better function.
