Taliban Deny Ceasefire Deal, Kill More Than 25 in Latest Attack

Kunduz, Afghanistan’s Taliban denied Monday agreeing to any ceasefire after the Associated Press reported that the insurgent’s ruling council had reached the deal that would see a reduction in fighting after more than 18 years of war. 

RELATED:
Taliban Council Agrees to Temporary Ceasefire in Afghanistan: AP

In a statement released on Twitter, the Taliban’s official spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group has “no intention of declaring a ceasefire,” adding that the reports are part of “an effort to generate anxiety, false optimism and sabotage the ongoing negotiations process through the dissemination of misleading information.”

The ceasefire is a requirement demanded by Washington before a peace deal can be reached.

This comes as the U.S. has resumed talks with the Taliban in Doha, three months after President Donald Trump abruptly halted negotiations with the insurgents. 

Talks between the Taliban and the U.S. aimed at ending the war collapsed on Sept. 7 as Trump decided to unilaterally cancel talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders after the group claimed the attack in Kabul that killed a U.S. soldier and 11 civilians, despite already having already reached a draft peace deal.

Yet the talks have not seen a reduction of violence in Afghanistan with the Taliban staging attacks across the country virtually every day.

Earlier Monday, in northern Afghanistan's Jowzjan province, the Taliban killed at least 14 Afghan security forces during a raid on a pro-government militia position, according to a provincial spokesman.

On Tuesday, in a fresh wave of attacks, the insurgents targeted Afghan security forces in the country's north, killing at least 26, local officials reported.

The assaults hit military outposts in at least three northern provinces in Kunduz, Balkh, and Takhar.

While U.S. airstrikes and operations by Afghan security forces over the past two days killed 35 Taliban fighters, according to the U.S. forces. 

A United Nations tally found last year was the deadliest on record, with at least 3,804 civilian deaths caused by the war -- including 927 children.

With violence not showing signs of reaching a near end, Afghanistan continues to be Washington’s longest conflict in its history. It was started after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan as part of the so-called "war on terror" to dismantle Al-Qaeda by removing the Taliban from power. 

Almost US$975 billion has been spent and approximately 220,000 people have died.