Afghan commandos among dozens killed in heavy fighting
Dozens of elite commandos were among the casualties suffered by Afghan security forces as the Taliban claimed to have taken a district in Ghazni province, stepping up battlefield pressure while seeking a political settlement with the United States.
Officials said about 25 Afghan commandos were killed in central Ghazni, where the Taliban have been battling militia from the mainly Shia Hazara community in the districts of Malistan and Jaghori, a conflict coloured by hostility between ethnic Hazaras and Pashtuns. US forces were providing assistance, including intelligence and close air support, a spokeswoman from US military headquarters in Kabul said.
At the same time as the Ghazni fighting on Sunday, about 50 police and soldiers were killed around Farah when Taliban fighters attacked checkposts in the city and nearby districts, regional officials said.
US commanders have said they expect the Taliban to step up military efforts to better their position while they maintain contacts with US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad aimed at opening peace negotiations.
Khalilzad, an Afghan-born former US ambassador to Kabul, met President Ashraf Ghani and other officials at the weekend, in his latest round of meetings following an initial meeting last month with Taliban officials in Qatar.
The Ghazni fighting prompted demonstrations in Kabul and Ghazni by Hazaras, who have complained of official neglect after attacks on their mosques and cultural centres. A suicide attack, close to where demonstrators had been gathering in Kabul, killed at least six people.
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