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KABUL, Afghanistan – At least 54 people have been killed in Afghanistan in the last 24 hours, according to a count based on interviews with officials Sunday. Seventeen years ago, US forces invaded the country to overthrow the Taliban regime.
The violence was a reminder that the war had only gone worse over time, killing both Afghan security forces and civilians caught in the crossfire. On average, the conflict claimed the lives of 30 to 40 Afghan soldiers and at least 13 civilians a day. There are no tangible signs of momentum for peace talks with the Taliban.
At least 35 members of the Afghan security forces and 19 civilians were killed. Most of the victims of the security forces are the result of attacks by the Taliban, but residents and local officials have indicated that a majority of civilian casualties in the last 24 hours resulted from two beatings. fire fired by government forces in central Afghanistan and an air strike in the east of the country. what they said was done by the United States. US forces have denied a strike in the region.
A large number of Taliban fighters have also been killed in attacks by Afghan officials in 14 of the country's 34 provinces. But the record was difficult to verify. Analysts estimate that the number of Taliban casualties is generally the same as that of Afghan forces, if not more because of the airpower used against them.
[Liseznotrecompterenduhebdomadaireduconflitdelonguedatedansle[Readourweeklytallyofthelong-runningconflictinthe[Liseznotrecompterenduhebdomadaireduconflitdelonguedatedansle[Readourweeklytallyofthelong-runningconflictintheReport on the war losses in Afghanistan.]
The deadliest of these attacks was a Taliban morning raid in Sayed Abad district, Wardak province, on the main highway about 100 kilometers from Kabul, the capital. The highway was blocked for hours – the Taliban had blown up a bridge – before it was reopened by security forces.
Nasrat Rahimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of the Interior, said that 14 police officers, including Colonel Sayed Nezrab Shah, the district police chief who had lost their leg during the night. a battle three years ago, had been killed.
"Her leg was bothering her – she was cut to the knee and she was still bleeding," said Naqibullah Amini, a friend of Colonel Shah. "He was saving money and he had prepared his passport to go abroad for better treatment. He was just waiting for the security situation to improve. "
In the northern province of Faryab, Taliban fighters invaded two police stations in Pashtun Kot district on Sunday morning. Ten policemen and one civilian woman were killed, according to Mohammad Azam, head of the district police's criminal investigation department.
Most of the civilian casualties took place in Paktia Province, in eastern Afghanistan. Residents said a convoy carrying an Afghan strike force, trained and led by the Central Intelligence Agency, had been attacked on Friday night. Leaving two vehicles burned, the unit escaped from the area, where a brutal wing of the Taliban, the Haqqani network, remains influential.
When residents gathered around the vehicles on Saturday afternoon, planes began bombing the area, according to Haji Gadlon Zadran, a neighborhood elder.
"Ten villagers were killed and 21 were wounded," he said. "The people killed were 9 to 12 years old and all innocent."
Gerad Serai, district governor, Qadir Khan, confirmed that 10 civilians had been killed and that the strike was under investigation.
US airstrikes in support of Afghan forces have increased in recent months, as government security forces struggle to maintain the front line against the Taliban. Public data from the US military show that 746 bombs were dropped in July and 522 in September. The Afghan Air Force has also conducted a growing number of air strikes.
It is not known who led the strike in Paktia province. US forces denied responsibility, while a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense did not answer questions.
"I can confirm that no American coalition or force has been involved in air strikes there during this period," said Cmdr. Grant Neeley, a spokesman for the US force in Afghanistan.
Another episode, reflecting the confused and dangerous situation throughout the country, occurred in the central Ghor province, where Afghan forces conducted an operation on Saturday to arrest a local militia commander whom the government accused of abuse.
Supporters of the commander, Shamsher Alipoor, said he was leading a local force to bridge the security gap in the fight against Taliban militants.
Abdul Hai Khatibi, spokesman for the governor of Ghor province, said that Commander Alipoor had engaged in clashes with security forces, killing four police officers and seven civilians. He fled the scene and the government's pursuit continued on Sunday, Khatibi said.
But some relatives of the victims have blamed the government for the deaths of civilians. Reza Nazari, whose sister, Amina Nazari, 48, was killed in the violence. She lost her husband, who was sick seven years ago, and worked as a social worker for a non-governmental organization. She was the main breadwinner for a family of four.
Farooq Jan Mangal contributed to reports by Khost, Najim Rahim of Mazar e Sharif and Mohammad Saber of Herat, Afghanistan.
