Taliban Ups Violence in Pakistan, Afghanistan

Taliban forces on both sides of the Pakistani-Afghani border are showing increasing resilience, seven years after the movement’s fall in Afghanistan.

 

The United States’ State Department is warning that the group is likely to increase its attacks in coming months.

 

A report issued by the Pentagon indicated that the Taliban had regrouped since its fall from power and was now "a resilient insurgency." The report further said the movement would maintain or even increase the pace of its attacks this year, challenging the control of the Afghan government across the country.

 

In the latest incident, a soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was killed in southern Afghanistan during a battle with the Taliban.

 

On Saturday 32 Taliban members were killed in fighting in the same region.

 

Meanwhile, in northern Pakistan, regional leader of the Taliban, Bi’atullah Mahsoud, announced his movement was no longer committed to the truce it declared in April.

 

"We have decided to freeze the peace talks with the government because of its continuing use of force against us," Mahsoud told AFP.

 

The Pakistani army launched a massive operation in northern Pakistan after the Taliban threatened to attack the city Peshawar.

 

Last April the new coalition government announced it would conduct talks with the Taliban instead of using military force.

 

"The government is not showing seriousness and is using force against us. If it will execute any military activity, we are ready to sacrifice our lives," Mahsoud said on Saturday.