As the U.S. military continues to wonder if Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces are the result of a “splinter” group or part of its official strategy, the Taliban continues to publicize its daily military operations.

Gunmen gunmen opened fire on Pakistani security forces patrolling a remote border region near Iran on Thursday, killing two troops, a provincial minister said.

Just days after the United States threatened to withdraw $1 billion in aid over a political crisis that risks upending the U.S.-Taliban peace deal signed last month, the Afghan government and the Taliban took steps that could move the two sides closer to beginning formal talks.

Afghanistan’s government announced a 21-member team to negotiate with the Taliban, in a tentative sign of progress for the United States-brokered peace deal.

The Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility for an attack on a Sikh temple and civilian complex in Kabul. The assault occurred early on the morning of Mar. 25, local time, and reportedly led to a prolonged standoff.

KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghan government said on Wednesday that it would free 100 Taliban detainees on humanitarian grounds at the end of March, raising uncertainty about the fate of a prisoner release deal with the insurgents, who have demanded that 5,000 detainees be freed.

An Islamic State gunman stormed a temple used by Sikh and Hindu minorities in Kabul on Wednesday, killing 25 worshipers during an hours-long battle with Afghan security forces.

At least 25 Sikh worshipers were killed and more than eight were wounded when four suicide attackers stormed the 400-year old Gurudwara Har Rai Sahib in the Shorbazar area of Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 25, 2020. The attackers reportedly took another 80 worshippers hostage.

On 29 February, the Taliban and the U.S. signed an agreement that commits the U.S. to a fourteen-month phased withdrawal of military forces in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a safe harbour for terrorists. The agreement also obligates the Taliban to commence peace negotiations with the Afghan government and other Afghan power-brokers.

The Afghan government has criticized the Taliban for rejecting Kabul’s negotiating team for upcoming intra-Afghan peace talks aimed at ending the nearly 19-year war.