Afghan Taliban kill peace chief negotiator in southern province LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants ambushed and killed three people including the peace chief negotiator in the southern Helmand province 555 km south of Kabul on Wednesday, a local official said. "A group of Taliban rebels ambushed the car of Malim Shah Wali, the head of High Peace Council, at 10:00 a.m. local time today killing him along with two police on the spot and injured four others," an official with the High Peace Council in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, Mohammad Daud Farhang, told Xinhua. The policemen had served as bodyguards for the late Shah Wali. High Peace Council is a government-backed body which has been tasked to approach the anti-government militants and encourage them to give up fighting and resume normal life. Taliban militants who have repeatedly rejected any offer for peace talks with the government had launched their spring offensive codenamed "Khalid Bin Waleed" from April 28 and since then intensified their activities. Afghan Taliban announces to launch annual rebel offensive KABUL, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Taliban on Saturday announced to launch an annual rebel offensive, according to a statement released to the media by the insurgent group. The Taliban, fighting Afghan government and the NATO-led coalition forces, in the statement said that they would start the annual spring operation codenamed "Khalid bin Waleed" -- the name of Islamic history's general -- from Sunday. Cargo plane crashes in north of Kabul, Taliban claim responsibility KABUL, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A cargo plane crashed in Bagram 50 km north of Afghan capital Kabul on Monday, an official told Xinhua but declined to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media. Bagram which located in Parwan province is the main military base of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.