“The other side have violated the agreement, almost every day they are violating it,” Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid added on Twitter that the allegations against the group were “unfounded” and that it was “fully committed” to the agreement. However, he said, “the Taliban are not meeting their commitments to reduce violence, and to renounce their ties to al-Qaeda”. Much depends on whether the Taliban and the Afghan government, who launched peace talks in September, can negotiate a settlement. Violence has soared in the country, which is also facing a new trend of targeted killings since the talks began.

Source: The Hindu January 29, 2021 16:07 UTC