Car explosion in Afghanistan after truce announcement 

At least 18 people lost their lives and 21 were critically wounded in a car bomb blast in Afghanistan’s Logar province on July 30, Thursday

July 31, 2020 by Peoples Dispatch
Afghanistan Car blast
(Photo: Daily News)

Days after the announcement of a truce ahead of Eid (July 31), violence continued in Afghanistan with at least 18 people killed and 21 critically hurt in a car bomb blast. The explosion took place in Pul-e-Alan, the capital of eastern Logar province, on July 30, Thursday. 

As per reports, a car laden with explosives blew up in a crowded area near the governor’s office in Pul-e-Alan. The target was reportedly Afghan security forces. Government officials are yet to ascertain whether the explosion was carried out through suicide bombing.

No insurgent group has so far accepted responsibility for the attack. The Taliban declared a three-day ceasefire on Tuesday.

On July 22, around 45 people, including eight civilians and 37 Taliban fighters, were reportedly killed in an airstrike carried out by security forces in eastern Herat district’s Kham Ziarat area. Earlier, on July 12, 21 security personnel and two civilians were killed in an attack by the Taliban in the northern Kunduz province.

The UN Assistance Mission in its report recently said that more than 1,280 Afghan civilians have been killed in the first six months of 2020. As per Tolo news, 300 people were wounded in 220 attacks carried out by the Taliban in June, and an estimated 250 Afghan security forces personnel died in July alone. 

Intra-Afghan talks are deemed to be central to the peace deal signed between the US and Taliban in February. However, talks have been stalled over the issue of release of Taliban fighters imprisoned by the Afghanistan government. So far, 5,400 prisoners have been released by the Kabul authorities and around 500 more will be released during the Eid holidays, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani stated on July 31.