Shadi Khan Saif
27 August 2019•Update: 27 August 2019
KABUL, Afghanistan
Human suffering took a new face in Afghanistan on Tuesday when a father was killed in a Taliban assault led by his son.
Local officials said the incident took place in northern Jawzjan province bordering Turkmenistan.
Elif Shah, governor of Faizabad district of the province, told Anadolu Agency Afghan army veteran Baaz Mohammad, 60, was killed along with his 11 colleagues by a group of Taliban assailants led by his son.
Days before his death, Mohammad, who is commander of a pro-government force, underlined the importance of peace in the country in an interview with local Azadi Radio.
“We have imposed this calamity [war] on us due to our own absurdity. If we realize, there is no other way [for resolution of the war] than peace agreement,” he was quoted by the radio.
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on social media.
Escalating violence continued to mar Afghanistan amid the ongoing ninth marathon round of peace talks between the U.S. and Taliban in Doha, Qatar.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Afghan forces are busy on war fronts in at least 15 out of 34 provinces.
Taliban’s Qatar office spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Monday efforts would be made to resolve final points of the peace accord with the U.S.
Top U.S. peace negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad has not commented on this.
However, President Donald Trump said at a news conference on the last day of the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France, there is no timeline for U.S. forces’ withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said “whatever it is”, there is “no rush”.
Withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan is one of the key points put across by the Taliban for the proposed peace agreement.
