[ad_1]
The bloodshed comes as the Taliban and government negotiators engage in peace talks to end the nearly two-decade war.
Two members of an Afghan militia opened fire on their colleagues in western Herat province, killing 12 people in what police called an “insider attack”.
Herat police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walizada said on Saturday the attackers fled with the weapons and ammunition of the slain militiamen, adding that Afghan government forces had regained control of the area.
Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi in a tweet claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, a sticky bomb attached to a Land Cruiser armored police SUV exploded in the western part of the capital, Kabul on Saturday, killing two policemen and injuring another, the Kabul police spokesman said. , Ferdaws Faramarz.
Faramarz did not specify the identity of the injured. However, two members of the Afghan police, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, said that Kabul’s Deputy Police Chief Mawlana Bayan was injured during of the attack.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing of Kabul.
In southern Helmand province, a suicide bomber targeted a police compound on Friday night, killing one officer and injuring two others, Provincial Police spokesman Zaman Hamdard said.
The attack took place in Lashkar Gah district on the highway between Helmand and Kandahar city. No one immediately claimed responsibility.
The armed group ISIL (ISIS) has taken credit for several attacks in the capital in recent months, including against educational establishments that have killed 50 people, most of them students.
ISIL claimed responsibility for rocket attacks in December targeting the main US base in Afghanistan. There were no casualties.
Frustration and fear
The violence comes as representatives of the Taliban and the Afghan government earlier this month resumed peace talks in Qatar.
However, negotiations got off to a slow start as the armed group continued its attacks on Afghan government forces, but kept its promise not to attack US and NATO troops.
The talks aim to end decades of relentless conflict. Frustration and fear have increased with the recent outbreak of violence and both sides blame each other.
Doubts have recently grown over the US-Taliban agreement negotiated by the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump.
This agreement was signed last February. According to the agreement, an accelerated withdrawal of US troops ordered by Trump means that only 2,500 US troops will still be in Afghanistan when President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20.
[ad_2]
