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KABUL, Afghanistan – Taliban disregarding the Afghan government's latest cease-fire and negotiating offerings, peace seems as elusive as it has been for decades in this bruised country by the war. for civilians facing frequent attacks.
The Taliban have gained ground in their annual spring offensive, ignoring President Ashraf Ghani's calls for negotiations. Hoping to end the war by nearly 17 years, he had offered unprecedented incentives, including passports for insurgents and their families.
Ghani had also proposed to abolish international sanctions against group leaders and to allow the Taliban to open their official seats. the capital, Kabul.
But for this to happen, he stressed, one must first hear about a ceasefire and the Taliban must become a political group rather than an insurgency. army
. a three-day ceasefire about the feast of Eid al-Fitr that closes the Muslim fast month of Ramadan, a first for the group, but rejected the government's subsequent call for extend it
That would be partly with the United States on their key claim: the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan.
The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, recently reiterated the insurgents' stance that "the Americans are he continuing the war, supporting our enemies and bombing our country."
"So, s & # 39; there are talks, they should be with them (Americans), "Mujahid told The Associated Press by phone. "Otherwise they will not have any results."
Since the beginning of the year, the Taliban have intensified their attacks. On January 27, a suicide bomber drove an ambulance packed with explosives to a checkpoint in Kabul, killing more than 100 people and wounding up to 235.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for this attack, as well as than another, a week earlier, in the militants stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing 22 people, including 14 foreigners, and unleashed a 13-hour shootout with security forces.
At a meeting in Kabul, the Council of Afghan Ulema Scholars published an edict against suicide bombings, saying that they are "haram," prohibited by Islamic law.
As the meeting ended and the religious were about to dissolve, another suicide bomber struck near the site. 19659013] Although this attack was claimed by the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, the Taliban issued a statement denouncing the conference and others as "an American process" and urged the ecclesiastics to reject these gatherings. The Taliban meanwhile have extended their reach in the countryside. According to Mujahid, they now control 54 of the 388 districts across the country, with five districts seized in this year 's spring offensive.
At least seven of the 14 districts of Helmand province are under the control of the Taliban. Analysts say nearly 80 percent of Helmand – prized for its vast opium poppy fields – has been under Taliban control since 2004, although urban centers have remained under government control.
Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish denies the Taliban's claims. However, even the Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan, or SIGAR, says that more than half of Afghanistan is under the direct control of the Taliban or under their influence.
The United States and NATO have steadily reduced their strengths in recent years, reaching a peak of almost 150,000, and in 2014 they turned to a supporting and counter-productive role -terrorism. Afghan security forces, with 195,000 troops and more than 150,000 police, fought to fight the insurgency.
The pressure is engaged to launch a kind of peace process
. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took advantage of a surprise trip to Afghanistan on Monday to reinforce the Trump administration's calls for peace talks.
"The region and the world are all tired of what is happening here as the Afghan people Tuesday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation based in Saudi Arabia opened Tuesday a two-day conference to encourage peace talks Afghans
They discussed Afghanistan on Thursday at their summit in Brussels during which the alliance should pledge to continue funding the Afghan army and its mission to
But many Afghan troops are bitter in the face of dark prospects for peace.
"The president gave them a chance and announced a cease-fire, but they still attacked our checkpoints. , ambushed our forces and nothing has changed, "said Mohammad Din, a 27-year-old policeman in northern Kunduz.
Abdul Agha, 33, lost his right arm and both eyes in the eastern province of Logar when his convoy hit a bomb on the edge of the road three years ago. The former police officer said that he could not see his two daughters, born after the attack.
"This has taken away my ability to see the luster and beauty of life," said Agha. Abdul Karim Arefi, deputy director of the Council of Industries and Investment of Afghanistan, said: "People are discouraged, people are not confident enough to import goods and do business", said Arefi
. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This document may not be published, distributed, rewritten or redistributed.
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