25 killed in Taliban attacks on first day of ceasefire in Afghanistan

Kabul, June 12 (IANS): The Taliban on Tuesday launched several attacks against Afghan security forces, officials said, killing at least 25 people as militants captured Kohistan district on the first day of a unilateral ceasefire announced by the government.

The insurgents attacked security checkposts in the northeastern Badakhshan province where 14 people died. In southeastern Ghazni, five people were killed; in the northern Sar-e-Pul, there were six casualties, coinciding with the halt in offensive operations by the Afghan armed forces, Efe news reported.

On June 7, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had announced the government’s first unilateral ceasefire in 17 years to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, suspending its offensive operations against the Taliban.

Badakhshan governor’s spokesperson Javid Baidar said that the insurgents, who announced a three-day ceasefire for Eid, had taken advantage of the unilateral truce to capture Kohistan district.

The spokesperson said that Kohistan’s governor Abdul Rahman Panah was killed in the attack along with an unknown number of security force members.

An official of the local administration told Efe that the governor and 13 members of the security forces were killed, while another 16 were wounded in the assault.

In Ghazni, the Taliban attacked the headquarters of the government of Muqour district using an explosives-laden vehicle, killing five people and wounding another 26.

In the third attack in Sar-e-Pul, dozens of armed insurgents captured two checkposts of the Afghan armed forces, officials said. Afghan Defence Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Radmanish said that six people were killed during the clashes.

The Taliban have only claimed the attack on Sar-e-Pul.