More than 30 Taliban militants were killed in multiple Afghan air force strikes on Saturday, said Afghan officials. The attacks happened as the Islamist militant group and the Afghan government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, begin long-awaited peace talks.
The strikes targeted locations in the Khan Abad district in northern Kunduz province, tweeted the Ministry of Defense. The offensive was carried out after Taliban fighters attacked Afghan forces, alleged the ministry.
Two commanders: "Qari Abdulrazeq" and "Mawlawi Abbas," were killed, according to the ministry,
In their own statement, the Taliban denied its fighters were hit and said at least 23 civilians had been killed.
The Afghan Defense Ministry stated: "Initial reports indicate no harm was inflicted upon civilians or ANDSF [Afghan National Security Forces] personnel," while noting it was "aware of reports" that civilians were injured.
The ministry said it plans to investigate the claim.
News agency Reuters cited several sources, claiming civilians were killed in the strikes, including Fatima Aziz, a member of parliament who represents Kunduz. "The first strike hit the Taliban base but the second one caused civilian casualties as they had gathered at the bombed site," she said.
The airstrikes left 12 civilians killed, including children, and 18 others injured, reported another witness, speaking to Reuters. The witness said that several Taliban militants had been killed.
Fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban has continued even as representatives of the government and the insurgents gathered last week in Doha for historic peace talks aimed at ending two decades of war.
The insurgents have so far ignored requests by Ghani for a longer humanitarian ceasefire, though they have unilaterally called two short, separate truces this year in the run-up to the talks.
Discussions kicked off after both sides completed a much-stalled prisoner swap — negotiated in a historic deal between the Taliban and the US in February.
The Taliban and the Afghan government are holding direct talks for the first time to end 19 years of war that has killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged various parts of the country. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed to release 400 Taliban prisoners, paving the way for the beginning of the long-awaited peace process aimed at ending nearly two-decades of conflict in the war-torn country.
The US inked a peace deal with the Taliban in February this year. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001.