This archive report was first published on 23 June 2020.
June 23, 2020
Violence in Afghanistan has escalated ahead of potential peace talks, with the Taliban killing at least 291 security personnel over the past week, a top government official said.
According to Javid Faisal, spokesman for the National Security Council, the previous week was the deadliest in the country's 19 years of conflict, with the Taliban carrying out 422 attacks in 32 provinces.
"The Taliban's commitment to reduce violence is meaningless, and their actions inconsistent with their rhetoric on peace," Faisal said on Twitter.
The Taliban rejected the latest government figures, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid accusing the government of trying to hurt the peace process.
"We did have some attacks last week, but they were mostly in defence," Mujahid said.
President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence, blaming the Taliban for the attacks, which he said were running against the spirit of commitment for peace.
On Monday, gunmen shot dead two prosecutors and three other employees of the attorney general's office in an attack on the outskirts of Kabul.
The incident drew condemnation from US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who led negotiations with the Taliban ahead of a deal signed in February.
"This attack underscores what we all know: Spoilers (both domestic and foreign) are trying to disrupt and delay" the peace process, Khalilzad said on Twitter.
