KABUL/QUETTA: At least two Afghan Taliban commanders have been killed in recent weeks in Quetta, militants and police said, the latest in what officials in Afghanistan have described as a series of assassinations within the group.

The motive for the killings and the number of those killed are unclear, but the deaths could make peace between Afghanistan’s government and the militants more elusive as western troops prepare to leave.

Afghan officials say several of the victims had been discussing unauthorised peace talks with the government in Kabul.

Officially, the Taliban have denied any such spate of deaths. “Now that the enemy is facing defeat they have turned to baseless propaganda and they call anyone who gets killed a member of the Taliban council or Mullah Mohammad Omar’s close confidant,” a Taliban statement said on Friday.

However, four members of the Afghan Taliban said last week that the group had killed some of its own commanders because the men were involved in unauthorised talks.

One Quetta-based commander put the figure at 18 such deaths since the beginning of last year.

Both the Taliban and Quetta police say that gunmen shot Noorullah Hottak two weeks ago. Hottak was a member of the Afghan Taliban’s 12-man governing body, named the Quetta shura, said Afghan intelligence officials and a Taliban commander.

But the official Taliban statement acknowledging his death denied that, calling him a “former” warrior.

Last month, gunmen killed Mullah Abdul Malek, another Taliban figure, said a Quetta-based Taliban commander and an Afghan intelligence official.

The Taliban denied his death, and the deaths of two other commanders, in their statement. “These commanders are alive and busy with their jihad tasks,” it said.

At least 12 Taliban members of varying ranks were killed in Quetta in last year’s winter, said Rahmatullah Nabil, the head of Afghanistan’s intelligence service.

Nabil said he had investigated the killings and the victims had all sought unauthorised peace talks.

“All 12 had been speaking to the (Afghan) president’s negotiators, either directly or through provincial governors or tribal elders,” he said.

Since the killings started up again last month, an Afghan official blamed the killings on Pakistani officials, saying they feared losing influence over commanders who started peace talks. “Pakistan thinks if we’re making progress with these (Taliban leaders), that might break their hold on them,” said the official.

Pakistani officials say they have no idea who is behind the killings. “Pakistan has been making all possible efforts to facilitate a reconciliation process in Afghanistan,” said a security official in Islamabad.

A Taliban commander in Quetta blamed the killings on Afghan intelligence, saying they were targeting senior members of the group.

But all sides have a reason to lie about who is behind the killings, said Saifullah Mehsud of the Islamabad-based think tank, the Fata Research Centre.

“Many are in the drug trade, others are arms smugglers. It could be a matter of revenge. It’s not clear who killed them or why,” he said.—Reuters