KUNDUZ: The Taliban have killed at least 23 Afghan troops and nine civilians, officials said on Monday, as a fresh wave of violence grips Afghanistan despite a deal with the US and a worsening coronavirus crisis.

Under the terms of the US-Taliban deal, the Afghan government and the insurgents were by now supposed to have concluded a prisoner exchange and started talks aimed at bringing about a comprehensive ceasefire.

But the stalled prisoner swap has been beset with problems — with Kabul claiming the Taliban are demanding the release of some of the group’s most notorious warriors — and peace talks seem as elusive ever amid ongoing attacks.

Late Sunday night in Takhar province in northeast Afghanistan, the Taliban struck an Afghan army base, killing 16 soldiers and two policemen, provincial police spokesman Khalil Asir said.

The governor’s spokesman, Moha­mmad Jawad Hejri, confirmed the attack and also blamed the Taliban, putting the death toll at 19.

In the south, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint near Tarin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province.

“Five Afghan policemen were killed and three others were wounded,” Zilgai Ebadi, the provincial governor’s spokesman, said.

The toll was confirmed by the head of Uruzgan provincial council, Amir Mohammad.

In the northern province of Balkh, the Taliban killed nine civilians after they resisted when insurgents tried to extort money from them, district governor Sayed Arif Iqbali said.

The Taliban did not immediately comment, but they have previously complained their fighters are still being targeted by US and Afghan forces. The violence has mostly been limited to rural areas and small towns. Under the framework of the US-Taliban deal, the insurgents have agreed not to attack cities.

Under the US-Taliban deal, American and other foreign forces are meant to quit Afghanistan by July 2021, provided the Taliban stick to several security guarantees and hold talks with the Afghan government.

Fighting has continued even as coronavirus spreads throughout Afgha­nistan.

It has so far seen 1,026 cases of coronavirus and 36 deaths, though real numbers are feared to be much higher as the impoverished country has only limited testing capabilities.

Jawad Hajri, spokesman for the provincial governor said the Taliban fled the scene after reinforcement arrived, Hajri added.

According to Adil Shah Adil, spokesman for the Balkh police chief, a child was caught in the crossfire and wounded during the attack, which also killed five Taliban, he added.The Taliban, who have not claimed responsibility for the attacks, and President Ashraf Ghani’s government in Kabul are in the process of exchanging prisoners as part of a peace deal signed by the US and the Taliban at the end of February in Doha, Qatar.

The release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government officials held captive by the insurgents ahead of intra-Afghan negotiations is a condition of the US-Taliban deal.

At the heart of most of the talks, say Taliban and US officials, is the demand for a reduction of violence. The Taliban have not been attacking US and Nato troops since the agreement was signed but have struck Afghan forces in outlying areas. Washington wants a reduction in those attacks.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2020