worldUpdated: Oct 19, 2020, 17:18 ISTThe US special envoy to Afghanistan warned Monday that “distressingly high” levels of violence threaten to derail ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Zalmay Khalilzad’s comments come as renewed fighting for days has plagued Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, a longtime Taliban stronghold. The Taliban this Friday agreed to halt its attacks on condition of the US stopping its airstrikes in the area. Such an approach can undermine the peace process and repeats past miscalculations by Afghan leaders.”The Taliban offered no immediate reaction to Khalilzad’s tweets. The Afghan air force separately conducted limited airstrikes to support Afghan forces trying to retake Taliban-held areas, Zwak said.

Source: Hindustan Times October 19, 2020 11:49 UTC