KABUL (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th July, 2020) Eight Afghan soldiers are dead and nine others are injured in a bomb attack on a military convoy in central Wardak province on Monday, the Defense Ministry said.
"This afternoon, a suicide attacker blew up a truck with explosives next to a convoy of military vehicles in the district of Saydabad. Unfortunately, eight soldiers were killed and nine others sustained injuries in this terrorist attack," the ministry wrote on Facebook, expressing condolences and wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, which they say killed or injured 48 soldiers, including officers. According to the radical group, seven vehicles belonging to the Afghan National Army were hit in the blast.
Though the United States and the Taliban struck their long-awaited peace deal in late February, violence in Afghanistan continues. Direct intra-Afghan talks were initially scheduled to commence in March but were pushed back due to disagreements over the mutual release of prisoners.
Earlier in July, the Taliban said that they are not going to stop hostilities before intra-Afghan talks, viewing any calls for a ceasefire in absence of negotiations as "illogical."
