The
target of the attack in Asadabad, the provincial capital, appeared to
be a tribal elder named Haji Khan Jan, who had orchestrated a local
uprising against the Taliban in his home district of Dangam. The attack
occurred in a crowded area that includes a park frequented by children.
Wahidullah Kalimzai, the governor of Kunar Province, said Mr. Jan was among the dead.
The local hospital in Asadabad, overwhelmed by the number of wounded people, issued a public appeal for blood donations.
Unlike in previous years, violence has not abated across Afghanistan
this winter, and it is only expected to intensify with the approaching
spring, customarily the start of the insurgent fighting season.
The
government of President Ashraf Ghani has been trying to engage the
Taliban in negotiations, in hopes of reaching a political resolution to
the long war. Officials from Afghanistan, the United States, China and
Pakistan, where the insurgency’s leadership is based, recently invited the Taliban to face-to-face talks in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, in early March.
But
the Taliban have yet to publicly declare whether they will attend, and
Afghan officials have been playing down expectations that the talks
would lead to a quick reduction in violence even if the insurgents
participated.
By:
Review: Emerging Market Formulations &
Research Unit, Flagship Records.
For The #FacebookTeam