A day after the deadly attack on a Shiite mosque, a NATO convoy has been targeted by Taliban militants. Authorities have yet to offer figures, but have confirmed there were casualties.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/A. Sana
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A suicide bomber on Wednesday attacked a convoy of international forces in Afghanistan's restive Kandahar province, the NATO-led coalition said in a statement.
"At around noon, a car bomb targeted convoy of foreign forces in the Daman area of Kandahar," a provincial police spokesman told AFP news agency.
The mission confirmed the attack did "cause casualties," but did not offer further details.
At least one witness claimed to have seen three bodies being pulled from one of the military vehicles.
The Taliban militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Qari Yosuf Ahmadi saying it took place near an Afghan intelligence facility.
The attack comes a day after 29 people were killed when one attacked detonated a suicide vest and another lobbed grenades into a Shiite mosque in the western city of Herat, according to media reports. However, the Taliban did not claim responsibility for that attack.
Quadriga - Afghanistan - No way forward?
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Resurgent Taliban
Afghan security forces – with non-combat support from international forces – have failed to stop a resurgent Taliban.
In Kandahar, the situation is even more so dire. The Taliban managed to bolster its presence in the poppy-growing province, which a UN report published earlier this year described as one of the most dangerous places for civilians in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group has also created a small but significant presence, although its leader was killed in July.
There are approximately 13,500 troops comprising the NATO task force in Afghanistan. However, the White House has considered sending roughly 4,000 troops – or more – to the conflict-ridden country in attempt to quash the Taliban.
Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Seventeen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, the war-torn country remains in the grip of Islamist violence. A string of deadly attacks in the last year suggests militants are stronger than ever.
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Fragile security
Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
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A long series of attacks
The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Hossaini
Spring offensive
In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.
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Trump's Afghanistan policy
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.
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Afghan peace process
Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/N. Shirzad
Pakistani support
Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.
Image: DW/H. Hamraz
Role of the warlords
Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.
Image: Reuters/O.Sobhani
An inefficient government
In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism.
