A recently established group of Afghan, Pakistani, American and Chinese officials have invited the Taliban to discuss peace, but for the moment the militants seem preoccupied with fighting each other, and the government.
Clashes between rival Taliban factions killed more than 100 in the latest outbreak of an insurrection against the group’s leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, which flared up last year when the movement’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was announced dead.
On Thursday, officials told local media that up to 100 fighters were killed in the Shindand district of Herat in western Afghanistan, when followers of Mullah Mohammad Rasool clashed with Mansoor supporters.
However, a recently established group of Afghan, Pakistani, American and Chinese officials have invited the Taliban to discuss peace, but for the moment the militants seem preoccupied with fighting each other, and the government.
“Talks are a key first step, but I don’t see negotiations before the 2016 fighting season is over, the government will have to convince the Taliban that they can deny them success on the battlefield,” said Franz-Michael Mellbin, the EU’s special representative to Afghanistan.
However, the Taliban control more territory than at any point since 2001. Taliban also took a provincial capital, Kunduz, and are threatening another, Lashkar Gah in Helmand.
Since the war on terror began 14 years ago by the US and its allies, Afghanistan has been crippled by insecurity and terrorism which also has been taking numerous civilian lives.