GARDEZ: A suicide car bomber killed three intelligence officers in an attack on a security convoy on patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday evening.

No militant group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Paktia province, which also left 19 civilians wounded and several nearby stores partially destroyed, according to Mohammad Halim Fidayee, the provincial governor.

The convoy was targeted while on patrol along the main highway linking the provincial capital of Gardez province with neighbouring Khost province.

The attack came amid progress in talks between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban in Qatar, following a three-month impasse. The two sides agreed on Wednesday upon rules and procedures for the negotiations.

They are now discussing what issues should be on the agenda of the negotiations.

There has been a sharp rise in violence this year, with a surge of attacks by the Tali­ban targeting Afgha­nistan’s beleaguered security forces since the start of peace talks, as well as attacks claimed by the militant Islamic State group.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2020