A wave of attacks across Afghanistan on Tuesday left at least 12 dead and several wounded, including a Taliban truck bombing in the country’s north that targeted a commando base for Afghan forces.
The violence comes as expectations had been rising that negotiations could soon get underway between the Afghan government and the insurgents.
According to Munir Ahmad Farhad, the spokesman for the provincial governor, The truck suicide bomber struck in northern Balkh province, killing three people, including two Afghan commandos and a civilian.
Also, according to Hanif Rezaie, the spokesman for the Afghan army corps in the north, initial military report said at least six commandos and around 35 civilians were wounded in that explosion, which also destroyed or damaged dozens of nearby civilians houses.
On Tuesday, another attack on a checkpoint of pro-government forces in western Ghor province killed eight troops and wounded five, The attack in Shahrak district set off five hours of gun battle.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for that attack, but authorities blamed the Taliban, who have claimed numerous past attacks on security checkpoints in Ghor.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the Balkh attack in a tweet, claiming that “tens” of military personnel were killed. The Taliban often exaggerate their battlefield claims.
Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war across the country, despite efforts to launch peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban, and find a road map for post-war Afghanistan. The talks were envisaged under a U.S.-Taliban peace agreement signed in February, but their start has been hampered by a series of delays that have frustrated Washington. Some had expected the negotiations to begin earlier this month.
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