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Bomb blamed on Taliban kills 11 pro-govt Afghan militiamen
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, June 6, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A roadside bomb in
northern Afghanistan killed 11 pro-government militiamen when it tore
through a truck in a Saturday pre-dawn attack that officials blamed on
the Taliban.
The group were travelling through Badakshan province to assist
security forces in the area, officials said.
A local commander was among the fatalities, provincial governor’s
spokesman Sanaullah Rohani told AFP.
Badakshan provincial council member Abduallah Naji said the Taliban
were responsible for the incident but the militants have so far not
claimed the attack.
Local militias often work with overstretched security forces in
Afghanistan, and have been regularly targeted by the Taliban.
The attack comes as overall violence has ebbed across much of
Afghanistan following the Taliban’s surprise three-day ceasefire
against Afghan forces last month.
Officials have blamed some deadly attacks on the Taliban since the
truce ended on May 26.
The US air force also carried out strikes against the militants in
separate provinces this week for the first time since the ceasefire.
Washington signed a landmark deal with the Taliban in February,
pledging to withdraw all troops from the country in return for
security guarantees.
It could see the United States pull out its forces by mid-next
year, ending a military deployment in Afghanistan that has lasted
nearly two decades.
The Taliban have largely refrained from launching major attacks on
cities since the deal, but have continued to target Afghan forces in
the countryside.
The Pentagon has said it would continue to conduct defensive
strikes in response to Taliban attacks.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1835hrs