Afghan News and Views

Taliban Issues Warning to Orchestrators of Recent Deadly Bombings in Kabul

The Taliban group issued a warning to the orchestrators of the recent deadly bombings which specifically targeted the mosques including a bombing which targeted a mosque in Kabul city on Friday

Blaming the ‘enemy intelligence organs’ for the attacks, the group in a statement said “The martyrdom of the Imam of Wazir Muhammad Akbar Khan mosque, the late Muhammad Ayaz Niyazai, the attacks on people inside mosques during Ramadhan, bomb blast at a funeral, attack on a maternity ward, destruction of power pylons and damage to public infrastructure are all part of enemy designed malicious plans that are being executed at this sensitive juncture to spread fear, terror and disappointment and to hamper the peace process.”

The statement further added “The Islamic Emirate warns perpetrators behind these attacks that you cannot hide from the Afghan nation and the day is not far when you shall be held to account for each crime, Allah willing.”

Mohammad Ashraf Ghani (entering, second from right), President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Rula (Bibi Gul) Ghani, First Lady of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, arrive to attend the Ministerial Session of the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan on 28 November 2018-***UN Photo by Violaine Martin***

In the beginning of its statement, the group claimed that “Such systematic killings have begun taking place as the Afghan people have started taking steps towards peace.”

However, the group did not elaborate further and it was not clear which intelligence organs the group was blaming for the recent attacks.

This comes as a bomb ripped through a mosque in Kabul city during the Friday prayers on Friday, killing Azizullah Mofteh, the prayer leader of Shir Shah Suri Mosque in Karte-4 part of Kabul city.

The explosion also 3 others and wounded several others, an incident which took place days after a similar bombing killed a prominent prayer leader in diplomatic part of Kabul city.

Qatar tells Afghan government its negotiators will be quarantined before Taliban talks

Qatar has told the Afghan government that its negotiators will be quarantined for 14 days before they enter into talks with the Taliban, sources told 1TV on Saturday

The message was delivered by Qatar Special Envoy for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani during his visit to Kabul earlier this week.

Meanwhile, sources said that some of the 21-member negotiating team have already caught the coronavirus.

Under the US-Taliban deal, the intra-Afghan talks would begin on March 10. However, the talks have been delayed amid disagreement over the Taliban’s demand for the release of 5,000 prisoners.

The government has freed 3,000 Taliban prisoners and President Ashraf Ghani announced this week the remaining prisoners will also be released “within a very short period.”

Taliban sources told 1TV that they have prepared their agenda for intra-Afghan negotiations and have sent it to their supreme leader for approval.

Afghan government, however, has yet to set its agenda for the talks.

–Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)