Afghan Taliban kidnaps 60 civilians amid peace talks: officials

KABUL: Taliban militants had kidnapped about 60 civilians in central Afghanistan over the past few weeks amid efforts by the United States and other foreign countries to start peace talks, an Afghan government’s official claimed.

According to the provincial deputy governor, Mohammad Ali Uruzgani, The Taliban took the hostages in the central province of Daikundi after a woman escaped a Taliban-controlled village in a neighbouring province.

 “Some 26, including women and children, had been released and tribal elders were mediating to free the remaining civilians,” the official added. A Taliban spokesman, however, has denied kidnapping the civilians.

Earlier in February, the Afghan Taliban had signed a troop withdrawal agreement with the United States, which was designed to pave the way for peace talks with the Afghan government.

However, the violence has ramped up since the agreement and discord over the release of Taliban prisoners have hampered progress on formal talks.

In this regard, a spokesman for the national security council said that the Taliban had killed more than 40 civilians around the country in the past week.

The spokesman said, “The Taliban have failed to deliver on promises of reducing violence against the Afghan people and working for peace.”

The UN mission in Afghanistan released a report raising concerns about 15 attacks on health workers amid coronavirus pandemic, attributing responsibility for the majority of them to the Taliban.