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Afghan military in Kunduz province (March): Fatal incidents occur almost every day across the country
Photo: STR / AFP
Just a week ago, the Afghan government started its peace talks with the radical Islamic Taliban in the Qatari capital Doha.
So far, however, the negotiations have been slow, and both parties have not even been able to agree on an agenda for the talks.
A humanitarian ceasefire is one of the central demands of the Kabul government.
Now a military incident could hinder the fragile start of negotiations even further.
According to government sources, the Afghan army killed more than 30 Taliban rebels in air strikes on Saturday, including two militia commanders.
The insurgents had previously attacked army positions in the Chan Abad district in the northern Kunduz province, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.
The army repelled the attack with "active defense".
The Taliban, however, said that none of their fighters were killed in the air strike, but 23 civilians were killed.
The Ministry of Defense said it was aware of the allegation and will be investigating.
According to information from the Reuters news agency, the government has not yet wanted to confirm the death of the civil lists.
Local hospital director Naim Mangal told AFP news agency three dead and three injured civilians had been admitted to his clinic.
Fatima Aziz, a member of parliament from Kunduz, told Reuters that the first air strike hit the Taliban base, but the second claimed the civilian victims as they gathered at the point of impact.
Aziz stated that eleven civil lists had been killed and five more were still missing.
An eyewitness told Reuters that twelve civilians were killed, including children, and 18 injured.
Several Taliban were also killed in the air strikes.
How many, however, the witness did not say.
Shortly before the attacks, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani again called on the Taliban to launch a ceasefire "to protect our people, prevent violence and terrorist acts and achieve a dignified and lasting peace".
The peace talks in Doha are the result of a deal concluded in February between the Taliban and the USA, which also provides for the withdrawal of all foreign military forces in Afghanistan by May 2021.
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bor / AFP / Reuters
