US soldier killed as Taliban rebels strike

KABUL: The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack yesterday on American troops that killed one US soldier and, according to the insurgents, wounded several more.

The killing is likely to have consequences for ongoing talks between the US and the Taliban. President Donald Trump in September declared negotiations “dead” after the Taliban killed a US soldier in a Kabul bombing.

Negotiations have since restarted in Doha, but were earlier this month put on a “pause” following yet another bombing, this time at the Bagram airbase north of Kabul.

In a WhatsApp message to AFP, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said insurgents “blew up an American vehicle in Char Dara district of Kunduz” on Sunday night.

He said “several” other US and Afghan forces were also wounded.

US Forces-Afghanistan said one American service member was “killed in action” yesterday.

Kunduz province is in northern Afghanistan and has been the site of repeated insurgent attacks and attempts to seize Kunduz city itself.

Depending on how one qualifies a combat-related death, about 20 American troops have been killed in action in Afghanistan this year following yesterday’s announcement.

That makes 2019 the deadliest for US forces since combat operations officially finished at the end of 2014, and highlights the woeful security situation that persists across much of Afghanistan.

About 2,400 US troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in October 2001.

Currently, the Pentagon has 12,00013,000 troops in Afghanistan. Mr Trump has said he wants to cut that number to about 8,600 or lower as he seeks to show voters he is making good on a campaign pledge to end America’s longest war.

The deal between the US and the Taliban had been all but signed before Mr Trump nixed it at the last moment, though a relative improvement in Kabul’s security situation paved the way for a resumption of talks on Dec 7.

Those talks were paused for a few days following the Bagram attack, but have since started again.

The initial version of the deal would have seen the Pentagon pull thousands of troops out of Afghanistan in return for Taliban guarantees they would tackle al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

But some members of Mr Trump’s own Republican party — including close confidant Senator Lindsey Graham — say the idea of the Taliban conducting counter-terrorism operations is “risible”.

Yesterday’s attack comes one day after officials announced the longdelayed preliminary results in Afghanistan’s presidential elections that put President Ashraf Ghani on track to secure a second term.

The Taliban have long viewed Mr Ghani as an American stooge and have refused to negotiate with him.