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                  Kabul on Edge After Wave of Attacks Kills 50

   by William Gallo

   Kabul is on edge Saturday following one of its worst outbreaks of
   violence this year.

   Insurgents carried out a series of suicide bombings in and around the
   Afghan capital Friday that killed more than 50 people, including nine
   people at a U.S. military base.

   It is the first major wave of violence since the Taliban recently
   confirmed the death of its founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar.

   The developments are calling into question the future of the insurgent
   group's peace talks with the government.

   Camp Integrity

   NATO said one international service member and eight civilian
   contractors were killed late Friday during an attack on Camp Integrity,
   a U.S. special forces base near the main airport in Kabul.

   ''The statement, issued Saturday, did not provide the nationalities of
   the victims.

   In the most deadly attack, a suicide bomber wearing a police uniform
   detonated his explosives in a crowd of students at an Afghan police
   academy in Kabul. Police report the attack killed at least 27 people
   and wounded more than 25 others.

   The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. But the group tried
   to distance itself from an earlier truck bombing in a residential area
   in the capital, which killed at least 15 people and wounded about 240,
   mostly civilians.

   'Shows the desperation'

   Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said whoever was behind the truck bomb
   attack has gained nothing.

   "The killing of civilians, especially women and children, shows the
   desperation and defeat of the enemies of Afghanistan by our national
   security forces," Ghani said.

   ''The Taliban abruptly canceled last week's second round of peace talks
   with Afghanistan after the news of Mullah Omar's death.

   Pakistan officials on Friday insisted the peace talks are ongoing and
   are only being paused temporarily.

   New Taliban leader Mullah Ahktar Mansoor has not been clear on whether
   he is interested on continuing to hold peace talks with the Afghan
   government.

   Mullah Mansoor said recently that the Taliban will continue jihad to
   turn Afghanistan into an Islamic state. He said all decisions will be
   based on strict Islamic law, including the choice to keep fighting or
   hold talks.

   Ayaz Gul contributed to this report from Islamabad.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kabul-on-edge-after-wave-of-attacks-kills-50/2908437.html