At least three people lost their lives and seven were injured in a deadly explosion in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province ending a period of relative calm. The blast took place days after Islamist Taliban regime and United States signed a deal which would mean that the latter will withdraw all of its military forces and supporting civilian personnel, as well as those of its allies, within 14 months. The drawdown process will begin with the U.S. reducing its troop levels to 8,600 in the first 135 days and pulling its forces from five bases.
But the Taliban clearly called for continuous attacks against the elected government in the capital city of Kabul. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had said, "The reduction in violence...has ended now and our operations will continue as normal. As per the (US-Taliban) agreement, our mujahideen will not attack foreign forces but our operations will continue against the Kabul administration forces."
The latest attacks mean that war-torn countries may not see a period of peace in the foreseeable future. As per a report published in Al-Jazeera, the Taliban also said that it would participate in intra-Afghan Oslo talks provided all of its prisoners are released.
Sayed Ahmad Babazai, a police chief in the area said, "A motorcycle rigged with a bomb exploded during a football match." However, no group immediately claimed the responsibility of an attack where three brothers have been killed.
Afghanistan has been facing a war for a long time. Ever since the Saar revolution of 1978, the country has witnessed a continuous phase of violence along with the participation of regional as well as foreign players. After the withdrawal of the former Soviet Union in 1989, Afghanistan slipped into a civil war that claimed the lives of thousands. Taliban become the most dominating group in the country and after the 9/11 attack, the US launched an all-out attack on Al-Qaeda led by Osama bin laden. Since 2001, more than 2500 American soldiers have lost their lives on Afghan land. The recent peace deal is unlikely to end the phase of violence in the country.
