Attacks Continue in Afghanistan despite Peace Talks

A suicide truck-bombing in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand Province has killed at least seven soldiers and four civilians as peace talks between Kabul and Taliban rebels have inexplicably been on hold in Qatar. The Wednesday night attack took place at a checkpoint manned by troops loyal to the government, which blamed the Taliban. So far there have been no admissions of responsibility. In the southeastern Khost Province, another suicide bomber wounded at least six people on Wednesday night, according to authorities. No one has claimed responsibility for that attack, either. The talks in the Qatari capital Doha have been on hiatus for the past several days for reasons that are unclear. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and the man generally credited with having brought about the talks, said he was heading to Doha to confer with the negotiators. “The Afghan people and international community,” he said on Twitter, “are watching closely and expect the negotiations to make progress toward producing a roadmap for Afghanistan’s political future and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.”