Taliban kill four civilians during clashes with Afghan forces

Taliban militants have killed four civilians during clashes with Afghan forces in the central flood-hit Parwan province, local officials say.

Abdul Shukoor Qudoosi, a district official, said on Thursday that clashes took place between Afghan and Taliban forces in Bagram, which is located in Parwan province and houses the biggest US military base.

"Taliban fighters opened fire on civilians fleeing areas worst hit by the flash floods," said Qudoosi. 

"Taliban were clashing with Afghan forces and they killed civilians who were in an autorickshaw near an army checkpoint," Qudoosi said, adding that it appeared as if the militants mistook the passengers for Afghan soldiers.

At least one Afghan soldier was reportedly killed and two were injured in the fierce fighting in the troubled region.

In recent weeks, the Taliban have staged almost daily battlefield attacks across various parts of the war-ravaged country.

The spike in violence comes as talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have stalled again in the wake of a controversial prisoner swap.

Kabul police chief fired amid surge in Afghan attacks

Kabul

The swap has stumbled over the final few hundred prisoners. Kabul is reluctant to release "dangerous" Taliban militants tied to deadly attacks.

At least three people were killed and dozens others injured in a truck bomb attack near a military base in Afghanistan’s northern province of Balkh on Thursday.

Official data shows bombings and other assaults by the Taliban have surged 70 percent since the militant group signed the deal with the United States in February.

The deal envisages a complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, and the Taliban have pledged not to attack American and other foreign forces.  

After 19 years of war, US signs deal with Taliban for troop withdrawal

An agreement between the US and the Taliban in Qatar sets the stage for end of nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government is a party neither to the negotiations nor to the deal, but it has been acting in accordance with its terms, including by agreeing to free Taliban prisoners. 

Washington invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban-run government in 2001 on the pretext of fighting terrorism following the September 11 attacks.

The Taliban, however, never stopped their attacks, citing foreign military presence as one of the main reasons behind their continued militancy.

Afghanistan has been gripped by insecurity since the US and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror in 2001. Many parts of the country remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops.

The Daesh terrorist group has also emerged in the Asian country more recently.

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