The group has not publicly responded to Ghani’s invitation and previously said it would negotiate only with U.S. officials. “The Taliban has increased its assaults in various parts of the country,” said Taj Mohammad Ahmadzada, an Afghan analyst. The violence became so frequent that the government last year trained and armed local Hazara men to guard community mosques. In rural clashes Thursday night and Friday, officials said, a Taliban ambush killed 10 police officers in one area of Takhar, while eight Afghan soldiers were killed in a separate Taliban attack. Officials said six members of the Afghan security forces were killed in other scattered attacks.

Source: Washington Post March 09, 2018 13:06 UTC