SIGAR: Increase of violence impacts US-Taliban peace deal

US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), quoted Pentagon, saying an increase in violence by the Taliban is not acceptable and will impact the US-Taliban peace deal.

US officials said that increase in violence means a violation of the Doha deal.

The SIGAR new report reveals that the Afghan government seeks a lasting ceasefire, however, the militants want to impose their own circumstances.

“The Taliban is calibrating its use of violence to harass and undermine [the Afghan government and security forces], but remain at a level it perceives is within the bounds of the [U.S.-Taliban] agreement,” said SIGAR.

SIGAR also said that Taliban attacks have been increased by 50 percent in the past three months of 2020.

Previously the Afghan National Security Council (ONSC) has said that the Taliban has conducted an average of 55 attacks per day since the signing of the peace deal with the United States in Doha.

The council said that the Taliban conducted 2,804 attacks from the beginning of March to April 19, adding the group “does not remain committed to the reconciliation process that will help the country to end decades of war.”

“When a deal does not have a guarantee, then both sides criticizing each other. It means that the Doha deal is not guaranteed,” said Jawed Kohistani, a military analyst.

The SIGAR also said that anti-government groups are responsible for 83 percent of civilians’ casualties and the report attributed 38 percent of civilians’ casualties to the Taliban.

The United Nation in Afghanistan also attributed most of the civilians’ casualties to the anti-government groups.

“If the Taliban and government not announce a ceasefire and continue the violence, it means that they don’t have any respect for the Afghans’ blood.” Said Zabihullah Farhang, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission.

On the other hand, NATO said that they will increase their airstrikes in Afghanistan.

Lt.Gen. John Deedrick, the commander of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) on Friday said that the Taliban violence is too high and that support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will continue.

“The Taliban violence is too high and we are continuing to support the Afghan security forces and the government, and we will defend the Afghan security forces in accordance with the agreement,” said Lt. Gen. Deedrick. “We do conduct strikes and operations in accordance with the US-Taliban agreement, and we will continue to do so.”

This comes as the US continues to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan