Ahead of Eid-ul-Adha and the commencement of the three days ceasefire, in Pul-e-Alan, eastern Afghanistan, 18 people were killed including security forces in a suspected car bombing.
According to a senior doctor in the Logar province of Pul-e Alan hospital, Sediqullah, eighteen dead bodies, and more than 21 injured people were brought to the hospital .
The ceasefire was recently announced by the Taliban due to Eid-ul-Adha, while the violence was at its peak across the war-torn country. The violence persisted as the US-brokered peace talks between the Taliban armed forces and the Afghan government-mandated committee await the completion of prisoner exchanges from both sides.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson of the Taliban, in a statement, denied the responsibility for the bombing.
“The explosion targeted Afghan security forces in Pul-e-Alan where civilian causalities were also recorded. It’s unclear whether it was car or suicide bombing as security had gathered for duty to prepare security measure for Eid which will be celebrated on Friday in Afghanistan”, said Shahpoor Ahmadzai, the spokesperson of province
The officials stated that a three-day ceasefire was yet to begin in the country as this incident took place.
According to the president, Ashraf Ghani 3,560 security forces of Afghanistan have been killed in attacks carried out by militants since the US-Taliban February agreement.
According to a report by the US Embassy in Kabul, Zalmay Khalid, US Special Representative for Afghanistan, on Wednesday in Kabul, discussed measures of how to keep violence down amid such dire situations from all sides in Afganistan after the announcement of the ceasefire and exchange of prisoners between the Taliban and Afgan government was agreed on.