11 civilians killed in Kunduz
Afghan relatives attending burial ceremony of a war victim

MoI: 180 civilians killed in Taliban attacks over past month

The Taliban have killed 180 civilians and wounded 375 others over past 27 days across Afghanistan, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI).

Talking to Kabul Now, the MoI Spokesperson Tariq Arian said on Tuesday, October 20, that the civilians were killed and wounded as a result of 1,160 offensive attacks, 170 landmine explosions, and ten suicide bombings by the Taliban militants.

According to the MoI official, the Taliban also suffered huge losses over the past month. 840 Taliban militants were killed, 375 others wounded, and 40 others were arrested during the period, he added.

He, however, did not provide details on casualties of Afghan defense and security forces during the period.

“The Taliban are responsible for killing the people. This group has not met their commitments at any stage. Some [released] Taliban prisoners have returned to battlefields despite taking oath by putting their hands on Quran. The Taliban must know that they will get killed, if resort to killing,” the MoI spokesperson asserted.

The Taliban, however, have not commented regarding these claims.

A surge in violence and civilian casualties comes despite the intra-Afghan peace talks started nearly a month earlier in Doha, capital of Qatar.

Though the Afghan government and international community have repeatedly called for a ceasefire or significant reduction in violence, the Taliban have not accepted the calls so far.