KABUL – The death toll from a suicide bombing targeting a security forcesconvoy outside Kabul early Tuesday jumped to 12, officials said, with eightcivilians killed in the latest Taliban-claimed attack near the Afghancapital.
The car bomb follows a wave of deadly violence against Afghan forces acrossa year in which insurgents have inflicted record-high casualties onsecurity personnel in the war-torn country.
“Twelve people including four members of the security forces were killed,”ministry of interior deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP. Kabul policeconfirmed the casualties, adding that women and children were among thedead.
The blast took place in Paghman district west of Kabul as the convoy wasreturning from an overnight operation, interior ministry spokesman NajibDanish told AFP.
The ministry of interior and a seperate security official requestinganonymity confirmed the assailant had used a car bomb to target the convoy.
Afghan security forces, beset by killings and desertions, have beenstruggling to beat back insurgents from Islamic State as well as theTaliban since US-led NATO mostly left them on their own three years ago.
In November President Ashraf Ghani said nearly 30,000 Afghan soldiers andpolice officers have been killed since 2015 — a figure far higher thananything previously acknowledged.
Earlier this month, Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie — who has beennominated to lead the US military’s Central Command — said the death rateamong Afghan forces will no longer be sustainable unless urgent measuresare taken to address recruiting and training issues.
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The early morning attack in Kabul came just hours after an overnightassault on a checkpoint in Arghistan district of southern Kandahar provinceby Taliban fighters killed at least eight Afghan police officers accordingto the provincial media office.
“The fighting lasted several hours, 11 Taliban were also killed,” theoffice added.
The uptick in violence comes as Washington continues to press for anegotiated end to the 17-year conflict.
US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad — who is currently canvassing the region tobuild support for potential peace talks — expressed hopes that a deal toend the war could be struck before the Afghan presidential electionscheduled for April.
At an international conference on Afghanistan in Geneva last month, Ghanialso said a 12-person Afghan negotiating team has been prepared for peacetalks.
But the Taliban, who have previously insisted they will only speak with USofficials, rejected Ghani’s overtures, calling the government in Kabul”impotent” and a “waste of time”. -APP / AFP
