The Taliban has conducted a string of unrelenting attacks across Afghanistan in recent days in an apparent effort to improve its bargaining position ahead of possible cease-fire negotiations and elections in October.
The militants on Monday abducted 170 civilians in the country’s North as they traveled to the capital city of Kabul. Afghan forces rescued about 150 of the hostages within hours, and are still negotiating for the release of the rest.
On Aug. 10, Taliban soldiers overran the southeastern city of Ghazni. Afghan forces spent five days trying to push out the militants, who included fighters from Pakistan and Chechnya, before regaining control of the city. Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the Taliban deliberately inflicted economic damage on the city, destroying several buildings and markets. Even as some normalcy has returned to Ghazni in recent days, the Taliban has continued conducting high-casualty attacks across the country, mostly targeting security officials. On Aug. 13, Taliban militants attacked a base in the northern Faryab province and either killed or captured 106 soldiers. And on Aug. 15, insurgents killed at least 39 people after they overran a police checkpoint and an army base in northern Afghanistan.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis last week said the Taliban was likely trying to gain leverage ahead of a cease-fire offer from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The group also hopes to incite fear ahead of the country’s elections in October, according to Mattis, “so we’ll continue to see this sort of thing.” Earlier this year, Ghani
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