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Taliban Kill Dozens of Afghan Forces as Disputed Peace Talks Open

by Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD --

   The Taliban is reported to have killed up to 40 government troops in
   separate attacks in northern Afghanistan as a controversial
   "intra-Afghan dialogue" began Tuesday in Moscow to debate a political
   resolution to the war.

   The deadliest of the insurgent raids occurred early Tuesday near the
   provincial capital of Kunduz, officials and residents said.

   Safiullah Amiri, the deputy chairman of the provincial council, told
   Afghan media the attack killed at least 25 soldiers and three policemen
   while 20 others were wounded. The clashes lasted two hours, he added.

   Defense Ministry officials in Kabul have confirmed the early morning
   "large scale" attack by the Taliban, saying it was swiftly repulsed,
   killing 22 assailants and injuring many more. They admitted Afghan
   forces suffered casualties but would not reveal any figures.

   Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed its attack in Kunduz
   killed 30 personnel of the Afghan National Army.

   The insurgents also raided a police post overnight in neighboring
   Baghlan province, killing at least 10 security troops, Afghan media
   quoted unnamed security officials as confirming.

   Afghan authorities rarely make public their battlefield casualties. But
   President Ashraf Ghani recently revealed last month that more than
   45,000 government forces have been killed since he took power in
   September 2014.

   Moscow talks

   The clashes came as Taliban and Afghan opposition leaders gathered in
   Moscow for what organizers said would be a two-day "intra-Afghan peace
   meeting" to discuss recent peace building efforts in Afghanistan.

   Afghan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sebghatullah Ahmadi told VOA the
   Moscow meeting has no legitimacy and the government will not accept any
   possible outcome of the discussions.

   A 10-member Taliban delegation, led by chief insurgent negotiator Sher
   Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, and about 40 prominent Afghan figures,
   accompanied by former president Hamid Karzai, are participating in the
   discussions, but no representatives of President Ashraf Ghani have been
   invited.

   In a departure statement Monday, the Afghan opposition delegation noted
   the Moscow meeting was "the first step towards intra-Afghan peace
   talks."

   Ghani's government has criticized the gathering as "little more than a
   political drama" and an attempt by "so-called founders" of the current
   Afghan democracy "to gain power."

   The Taliban remains averse to any direct or indirect talks with the
   Kabul government, dismissing it as an American "puppet."

   The so-called "intra-Afghan peace meeting" in Russia comes days after
   the United States reported "significant" progress in ongoing talks with
   Taliban insurgents, though they also excluded the Afghan government.

   The Russian government has denied involvement in arranging the disputed
   huddle in Moscow. The dialogue underscores a deepening political divide
   in Afghanistan and further weakens the Afghan government, analysts say.

   Russia criticized

   Afghan officials have criticized Moscow for not upholding its pledges
   to facilitate direct talks between Kabul and the Taliban.

   Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, apparently responding to the
   criticism, has reiterated his government's committed to help in a
   political settlement to the Afghan conflict.

   "Russia has been actively advocating an intra-Afghan dialogue involving
   both the government and the Taliban, which are part of Afghan society;
   there is no denying this," Lavrov noted while speaking to reporters on
   Monday.

   "It is common knowledge that a dialogue between the Afghan government
   and the Taliban cannot be avoided," he added.

   Lavrov, however, criticized Washington for holding what he described as
   "behind closed doors" talks with the Taliban.

   The Russian foreign minister was directly referring to last months'
   six-day negotiations U.S. reconciliation envoy Zalmay Khalilzad held
   with Taliban officials in Qatar.

   Khalilzad and the Taliban say they made significant progress in the
   Doha talks and have come close to a deal on withdrawal of U.S.-led
   foreign forces from Afghanistan. In exchange, the Taliban has assured
   it will not allow international terrorist groups, including al-Qaida
   and Islamic State to plot attacks from Afghan soil.

   U.S. and Taliban negotiators are due to meet again in Qatar on February
   25 to resume their discussions.