Kabul, Afghanistan – At least 13 dead from a suicide bombing that targeted an Afghan police commander in Afghanistan’s northern Parwan province, on Monday. From the 13 dead, nine were civilians and the four others police officers.
The bombing, which the Taliban have taken responsibility for in an email sent to media, left another 19 people injured, 17 civilians among them. The Afghan commander was among those injured, according to the New York Times.
This Monday’s attack occurred near a clinic and a bazaar in an area 60 kilometers northwest of Kabul, said Zaman Mamozai, the provincial police chief.
“Once again, a Taliban suicide bomber attacked innocent civilians,” Mamozai said, as he added that the bazaar was packed with shoppers and that people were waiting outside the clinic for treatment.
The Taliban have intensified their insurgency since the end of NATO’S combat mission in late 2014, which lead to the multiplicity of bombings and attacks across Afghanistan, as reported by Daily Mail UK.
They often target officers like the recent commander from the Afghan Local Police (ALP), the security force set up by the United States in 2010 to help support Afghan government in the fight against insurgents.
The Afghan government along with other nations like China, Pakistan and the US, have revived efforts once again to continue peace negotiations with rebels after the last failure in the summer. Talks will continue for a fourth time to revive the negotiations this Tuesday in Kabul.
Army retreated in Helmand
Afghan troops have been ordered to step back from two districts in the Helmand province, as they are redeployed elsewhere, officials said on Monday. This move highlights the challenge from Taliban fighters in the opium-producing region.
The two army bases have been retreated from Musa Qala and another in Nawzad district, said provincial governor Khan Rahimi to AFP news agency. This leaves the province without troops in those districts.
Soldiers have been moved instead to other parts of Helmand, such as the heavily contested districts of Lashkar Gah and Sangin, said Rahimi. He added that they do not have any concerns regarding this step taken, but they do have plans to ensure security on other vulnerable areas.
The decision have been criticised by Abdul Majeed Akhundzada, deputy chief of the provincial council. Akhundzada said that retreating from Musa Qala looks to him like authorities are ignoring the deaths of Afghan security forces and civilians.
Source: New York Times