Afghan peace talks come with heightened clashes between security forces, Taliban at home

Amidst the intra-Afghan Peace talks being held in Qatar, fierce fighting has broken out between security forces and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The long-awaited Afghan Peace talks began last week and are being seen as a ‘historic opportunity’ to end decades of war in the country. As per reports, in the latest episode of violent overnight clashes erupted in three districts of Nangarhar province after security checkpoint was attacked by Taliban fighters.

Clashes amid peace talks

As per Sayhoon News reports, Afghan Defense Minister Asadullah Khalid has stated that the attacks by Taliban forces have actually increased since the beginning of the peace talks. Khalid also is reported to have added that in an effort to ensure the violence does not negatively impact the ongoing talks, Afghan security forces have refrained from any aggressive retaliatory measures.

In a similar incidence last week, clashes between the Taliban and the Afghan security forces left six insurgents dead while three others were injured. The incident occurred in the southern province of Kandahar on September 13, just the day after the Intra-Afghan peace talks commenced in Doha.

Read: Afghan Forces Clash With Taliban In Kandhar Region Ahead Of Day 2 Peace Talks In Qatar

Read: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan Offer To Host Future Rounds Of Afghan Peace Talks

The ongoing Afghan peace talks between the government and Taliban were made possible by a deal signed between the rebel group and the United States back in February. The deal stipulated that the US will reduce its troops in Afghanistan while the government and Taliban exchanged a pre-determined number of prisoners. The long-anticipated peace talks finally began after the Afghan government released the final batch of Taliban prisoners in August.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the first day of the Afghan peace talks in Doha and affirmed US commitment to the peace processes in the region. While the talks are currently being held in Qatar, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have offered to host any future talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan.

Read: UK Welcomes Afghan Peace Talks, Asks Parties To 'seize Opportunity' In Historic Dialogue

Read: Afghanistan Leader Mohammed Haneef Atmar Thanks India For Its Commitment To Afghan Peace