[But there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Jalalabad event, although the Islamic State confessed to being behind a wave of deadly strikes in the city including last week when 19 people, many of them from the minority Sikh and Hindu groups, were killed.]
By Sayed Salahuddin
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Afghan
policemen inspect the site of a suicide attack in Jalalabad city, Afghanistan
July
10, 2018. (Parwiz/Reuters)
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KABUL
— At least 15 people were
killed on Tuesday in two separate attacks by militants in Afghanistan as
Islamic scholars gather in Saudi Arabia to discuss the legitimacy of Taliban’s
war against the U.S.-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani.
One of the attacks, conducted by a suicide
bomber, happened near a government security checkpoint on the outskirts of the
eastern city of Jalalabad where 12 people, including security forces and
civilians were killed, according to provincial officials.
The second strike targeted government civil
servants in Ghazni province which lies to the southwest of Kabul and is a
bastion for the Taliban insurgents. Several people, including a district chief,
lost their lives in that incident, officials said.
The Taliban said it was behind the raid in
Ghazni.
But there was no immediate claim of
responsibility for the Jalalabad event, although the Islamic State confessed to
being behind a wave of deadly strikes in the city including last week when 19
people, many of them from the minority Sikh and Hindu groups, were killed.
Officials said the Taliban unleashed a number
of attacks elsewhere in the country in the past 24 hours ahead of a two-day
meeting of Islamic scholars from around the world which began on Tuesday in
Saudi Arabia.
The Afghan government expects the gathering
to term the Taliban insurgency and use of suicide attacks in Afghanistan as
unlawful, like similar such meetings have recently in Kabul and in Jakarta.
The gathering comes amid show of repeated
optimism by Afghan government officials in recent days about holding direct
talks with Taliban leadership following last month’s brief and unexpected truce
during the Eid holiday ending the fasting month of Ramadan.
[Pompeo makes unannounced trip to Kabul, says
Trump’s strategy ‘working’]
The Taliban refused to reciprocate an extension
to Ghani’s unilateral cease-fire and has conducted bloody attacks against
government forces, drawing harsh criticism against Ghani for his move from his
political rivals.
They militants repeatedly since said the
group will not engage in talks with the “powerless” Kabul government until
foreign troops leave the country.
Speaking during a conference with visiting
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Ghani on Monday said the brief truce had opened
an opportunity for peace in Afghanistan and that its 40 years of war cannot
come to an end in one night or day.
Commenting on the Saudi gathering, the
Taliban urged the kingdom and the clerics to back the group in its war against
U.S.-led troops in the country, pledging to continue to its insurgency until
all foreign troops leave the country.
“The Afghan Mujahid nation does not expect
authorities of Saudi Arabia and scholars to side with American invaders in this
fight between Islam and disbelievers,” the Taliban said in a statement.
“Our nation, due to Islamic brotherhood hopes
that Saudi government will help and support our weak nation in this arduous
time,” the statement added. “The Afghan Mujahid nation is still thankful to the
Saudi Arabia for their assistance in Jihad against the Soviet Union invasion.”