Taliban attacks killed more than 400 people in one week, the Afghan government knelt down (news update)

Taliban

KABUL: More than 400 security personnel have been killed and wounded in a week of Taliban attacks, the Afghan government said, according to reports from the Afghan Interior Ministry.

According to Al Jazeera, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Aryan told a news conference that "over the past week, the Taliban have carried out 222 attacks against Afghan security forces, killing 422 people." 

The Taliban are also targeting religious scholars to put psychological pressure on the government.

Tariq Aryan said both imams had been killed in attacks on mosques in Kabul this month, and that it was the Taliban's job to do so. went'.

Referring to the Taliban, he said, "Other terrorist networks are operating under their umbrella."
 It is believed that four people, including the Imam of the mosque, were killed in an explosion during Friday prayers in Kabul. 

A week ago, a prominent cleric was killed in an ISIS attack on a mosque in the Green Zone.

Javed Faisal, a spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council, said:

 "The Taliban have not reduced 
their operations,
 but have increased their 
attacks across the country." 

The Taliban also claimed responsibility for Zaid's injuries. 

Earlier, the Taliban and the Afghan government indicated they were ready for peace talks.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has promised to complete the release of Taliban prisoners within a week, laying the groundwork for a peace process in the decades-long war-torn country.

Referring to the inter-Afghan peace talks in Afghanistan, Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi confirmed on a social networking site that "the Afghan government has agreed to hold only the first meeting in Doha."

"The venue
 for the direct talks has not been 
determined yet," he said. An official at the 
Afghan presidential palace said the Afghan government had agreed to start inter-Afghan talks in Qatar initially. 
He said no agreement had been reached so far on formal inter-Afghan talks in Qatar.

Ashraf Ghani categorically ruled out the possibility of forming a caretaker government in the event of any agreement after meaningful talks with the Taliban.

"I will not 
repeat the
 historic mistake 
of the Soviet-backed president, Dr. Najibullah," he said. Don't be asked to repeat what we are aware of.