Published 08:50 IST, July 29th 2020
Afghanistan: 10,708 soldiers killed, wounded since US-Taliban peace deal, says Ghani
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani a total of 10,708 members of the ANDSF have been killed and injured since the signing of the US-Taliban peace deal on February 29.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on July 28 said that a total of 10,708 soldiers of the Afghan National Security and Defence Forces (ANDSF) have been killed and wounded since the beginning of the US-Taliban peace deal on February 29. At an official meeting at Kabul, Ghani said, "Between February 29, 2020, and July 21, 2020, ANDSF losses have been 10,708, with 3560 martyred, 6781 wounded and the rest kidnapped, imprisoned or unaccounted for".
The President also noted that 775 civilians have lost their lives, 1,609 more were wounded and 689 kidnapped during the same period. Ghani also said that rocket attacks by the Taliban have also become a routine.
US troops withdrawn
Several thousand US military troops were withdrawn out of five bases in Afghanistan as Pentagon fulfilled its obligation to the peace agreement with the Taliban in Qatar in February even as Kabul struggled with civil unrest, political deadlock, insurgence, and violence. While President Donald Trump has been in favour of complete withdrawal of US military from Afghanistan, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie had earlier called the deal an “aspirational” commitment. US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said that it has been 135 days since the agreement was signed, now the US and Taliban have reached a "key milestone" in its implementation.
Meanwhile, the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been trying to amass global consensus with respect to the Afgan-Taliban peace deal. According to reports, the Aghan leader plans to hold online conferences with several world leaders in order to reach a consensus. Ghani's efforts come amidst rigging reports of violence attributed to the Taliban which could push away any hope of peace. As per reports, the Afghan President is in the process of holding online conferences with the representatives of 20 countries. The first of these video conferences took place on Monday, July 6. A spokesperson for the Afghan foreign ministry has said that the country's leadership aims to build a consensus at the regional and international levels. The United States, Russia as well as the United Nations, will be taking part in these conferences as per reports.
(Image: ANI)
Updated 08:50 IST, July 29th 2020