Official: 54 released from Taliban prison in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least 54 people, including security personnel and civilians, were released from a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province, a provincial official said Tuesday.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the prisoners were freed after a commando unit raided the prison late Monday night in Musa Qala district.

Zwak said there were 32 civilians, 16 police, four soldiers and two military doctors who had been locked up by the insurgents. He said security forces were still securing the area.

The Taliban did not immediately comment on the raid, but the insurgents are in control of the majority of the districts in Helmand, where they have increased their attacks against provincial officials and security forces.

The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with the U.S. The militants maintained that position despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. When the Taliban continued to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month.

Trump administration officials said Monday for the first time that the U.S. would be open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war. They said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiations remain the goal of any engagement with the militants, however.

That marks a tactical shift by the administration, which previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involved the Afghan government. The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity.

The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It still has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said Monday.

That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants.

The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity.

The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month.

The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members.

A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration's willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday.

The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, "We wait for them to officially inform us." But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban's call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States "is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government."

The department added that "any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government."

Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks.

"The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces," Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces.

The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said.

That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said Monday that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants.

The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity.

The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month.

The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members.

A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration’s willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday.

The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, “We wait for them to officially inform us.” But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban’s call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States “is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government.”

The department added that “any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government.”

Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks.

“The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces,” Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces.

The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Latest on developments (all times local):

An Afghan official says Taliban insurgents attacked police checkpoints in southern Kandahar province, killing nine police.

Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, says Tuesday that seven other police were wounded late Monday in the attack in Arghistan district.

Zia Durrani, provincial police spokesmen, says 25 Taliban were killed and 15 others wounded in the battle.

Arghistan is one of the violate districts of Kandahar close to Pakistani border.

An Afghan official says an Islamic State suicide bomber has killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan, including a Taliban commander.

Abdul Qayuom Baqizoi, provincial chief police of northern Sar-i-Pul province, said the attack Tuesday took place as village elders met with Taliban officials in the area.

In northern Afghanistan, Taliban and the Islamic State group have been waging bitter battles in recent days. As many as 100 insurgents from both the Taliban and Islamic State have perished in recent battles, said Baqizoi.

Provincial council chief Mohammed Noor Rahman said the explosion occurred in a mosque as a funeral was taking place.

The area is remote and it was impossible to reconcile the differing accounts.

An Afghan official says at least 54 people, including security personnel and civilians, have been released from a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Tuesday the prisoners were freed after a commando unit raided the prison late Monday night in Musa Qala district.

Zwak said there were 32 civilians, 16 police, four soldiers and two military doctors who had been locked up by the insurgents.

He said security forces were still securing the area.

The Taliban did not immediately comment on the raid, but the insurgents are in control of the majority of the districts in Helmand, where they have increased their attacks against provincial officials and security forces.</s>The Latest: Afghan official says Taliban kill 9 in Kandahar

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Latest on developments (all times local):

An Afghan official says Taliban insurgents attacked police checkpoints in southern Kandahar province, killing nine police.

Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, says Tuesday that seven other police were wounded late Monday in the attack in Arghistan district.

Zia Durrani, provincial police spokesmen, says 25 Taliban were killed and 15 others wounded in the battle.

Arghistan is one of the violate districts of Kandahar close to Pakistani border.

An Afghan official says an Islamic State suicide bomber has killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan, including a Taliban commander.

Abdul Qayuom Baqizoi, provincial chief police of northern Sar-i-Pul province, said the attack Tuesday took place as village elders met with Taliban officials in the area.

In northern Afghanistan, Taliban and the Islamic State group have been waging bitter battles in recent days. As many as 100 insurgents from both the Taliban and Islamic State have perished in recent battles, said Baqizoi.

Provincial council chief Mohammed Noor Rahman said the explosion occurred in a mosque as a funeral was taking place.

The area is remote and it was impossible to reconcile the differing accounts.

An Afghan official says at least 54 people, including security personnel and civilians, have been released from a Taliban prison in southern Helmand province.

Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Tuesday the prisoners were freed after a commando unit raided the prison late Monday night in Musa Qala district.

Zwak said there were 32 civilians, 16 police, four soldiers and two military doctors who had been locked up by the insurgents.

He said security forces were still securing the area.

The Taliban did not immediately comment on the raid, but the insurgents are in control of the majority of the districts in Helmand, where they have increased their attacks against provincial officials and security forces.</s>A National Army soldier stands guard near a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were killed and others wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest in the country's capital. less

A National Army soldier stands guard near a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were ... more

Security personnel patrol near the site of a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were killed and others wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest in the country's capital. less

Security personnel patrol near the site of a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, July 15, 2018. An Afghan official said several people were ... more

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province and killed seven policemen, a provincial official said Monday.

The attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil, said the provincial police chief, Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai. Five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack, he said.

Stanikzai also said that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead.

There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike.

Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside the building of the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement Monday on its Aamaq news agency, saying it targeted government employees and warning their attacks will reach "all who help the Crusaders," a term militants use to refer to foreign forces.

Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounded 31 others, mostly government employees.

On Monday, a would-be suicide attacker was shot and killed by police in Kabul before he was able to get close to a gathering of supporters of the country's first vice president, Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, according to police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai. Dostum is currently in Turkey.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and the Islamic State group have stepped up their attacks in Kabul.

Meanwhile, intense week-long battles have been underway between the Taliban and IS in northern Jawzjan province, according to Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the provincial police chief.

Jawzjani said on Monday that around 70 Islamic State fighters and 54 Taliban insurgents may have been killed in the fighting in districts of Darzab and Qushtipa.

The information, which came from the rival sides, could not be immediately verified by the security forces, Jawzjani also said.

"Both sides are using small arms against each other, with their battles mainly taking place in the villages of both districts," he added.

A statement from the Taliban said that along with killing 70 IS fighters, including five top leaders in Darzab, 21 others were captured in battle. There was no immediate comment from IS.

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.</s>US open to direct talks with Taliban, officials say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said Monday.

That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants.

The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity.

The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month.

The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members.

A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration's willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday.

The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, "We wait for them to officially inform us." But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban's call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States "is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government."

The department added that "any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government."

Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks.

"The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces," Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces.

The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009.</s>Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai said a suicide bomber on foot struck outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry. The shift to prioritise initial US talks with the Taliban over what has proved a futile "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" process stems from a realisation by both Afghan and American officials that President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan strategy is not making a fundamental difference in rolling back Taliban gains. While no date for any talks has been set, and the effort could still be derailed, the willingness of the US to pursue direct talks is an indication of the sense of urgency in the administration to break the stalemate in Afghanistan. An Afghan man carries an empty coffin in the hospital following a deadly attack outside the Rural Rehabilitation and Development Ministry in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. Not long after he took office, Trump reluctantly agreed to provide more resources to his field commanders fighting the Taliban, adding a few thousand troops to bring the US total to about 15,000. But a year later the insurgent group continues to threaten Afghan districts and cities and inflict heavy casualties on the country's security forces.

The government controls or influences 229 of Afghanistan's 407 districts, and the Taliban 59. The remaining 119 districts are contested, according the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which was created by Congress to monitor progress in the country. Providing more authority to U.S. diplomats, a move that was decided on last month by Trump's national security aides, is seen as part of a wider push to inject new momentum into efforts to end the war. Those efforts include a rare ceasefire last month, increased US pressure on Pakistan to stop providing sanctuary to Taliban leaders and a rallying of Islamic nations against the insurgency's ideology. Grassroots peace movements in the region have also increased pressure on all sides. Taliban fighters ride in their vehicle in Surkhroad district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Over the past few weeks senior American officials have flown to Afghanistan and Pakistan to lay the groundwork for direct US-Taliban talks. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefly visited the Afghan capital, Kabul, last week, and Alice G. Wells, the top diplomat for the region, spent several days holding talks with major players in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Efforts have particularly focused on trying to persuade the Afghan leadership that such talks are not a replacement for negotiations with the country's coalition government, but are meant to break the ice and pave the way for those. Because the previous Afghan government felt left out of peace efforts during the Obama administration, it resisted direct talks, which was one reason peace efforts at that time collapsed.

Neither the State Department nor a Taliban spokesman would comment on the shift of policy toward engaging the Taliban directly. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives at Camp Alvarado in Kabul, Afghanistan after meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on July 9. Wells, during her trip to Kabul, reported a new "energy and impulse for everyone to renew their efforts to find a negotiated settlement," largely as a result of the ceasefire. Days earlier, Pompeo, in a statement, said that there would be no precondition for talks — and that everything, including the presence of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, was up for discussion. President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan said last month at a news conference that the peace process would be a complicated, layered effort rolled out in phases that were still in the preparatory stage. He left open the possibility of a more direct US role in the early efforts. "Various ideas, creative ideas are floating on how to break this logjam and get started," Ghani said.

A near-consensus has grown among American and Afghan officials involved in earlier and current efforts to fire up a peace process that the only way out of the war is for the United States to take a more direct role in negotiations. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, right, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, hug following a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 9. That realisation rests on several facts: that the Taliban are a stubborn insurgency, that they have not budged on their demand to talk directly with the Americans, and that the Afghan government, mired in infighting and marred by political opposition, would struggle to lead a cohesive peace agenda without American help. Officials have been moving with a sense of urgency because Trump has expressed his frustration with the war and is desperate to see its end, said a senior US official. During last week's NATO summit meeting in Brussels, Trump expressed agreement with a reporter's question that contained the notion that "people are fed up" with the Afghan war.

"Yeah," Trump said on Thursday. "I agree with that. I very much agree. It's been going on for a long time. We've made a lot of progress, but it's been going on for a long time." An important distinguishing factor of the recent push, according to officials involved in previous efforts, is that the US military seems very much on board. In 2011, when the Obama administration first shifted to a policy of ending the war through negotiations, military commanders still believed they could defeat the Taliban. Now, they define their goal more modestly: keeping the Taliban from victory until a political settlement is reached. Even if talks do begin again, many observers point to how difficult they will be.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says the Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province, killing seven policemen.

Provincial police chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai said Monday that the attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil.

He says that five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack.

Stanikzai says that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead.

There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike.

Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside a ministry building in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15.

Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounding 31 others, mostly government employees.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan official says the Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province, killing seven policemen.

Provincial police chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai said Monday that the attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil.

He says that five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack.

Stanikzai says that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead.

There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike.

Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside a ministry building in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15.

Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounding 31 others, mostly government employees.
An ISIL suicide bomber killed 20 people in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, including a Taliban commander. In southern Kandahar province, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint in Arghistan district late on Monday night, killing nine policemen and wounding seven. 25 Taliban fighters were killed and 15 were wounded in the ensuing battle.