MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2021) The Afghan Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its armed forces killed 30 Taliban operatives in the southern Kandahar province thwarting an attack on its positions.
"30 Taliban were killed and 4 others were wounded in Shahwali Kot and Zherai district of #Kandahar province, yesterday... Additionally, 3 strongholds with a large amount of their weapons were destroyed," the ministry said in a tweet Sunday.
This comes after the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on an army base in the province the day prior.
Kandahar has witnessed an intense escalation in violence between government forces and the Taliban in recent months in tandem with the peace talks.
The peace negotiations began in the Qatari capital of Doha back in September. In early December, Kabul and the Taliban announced that they had come to an agreement on the framework of the talks, allowing substantive talks that have yet to see a breakthrough.
