Amid fighting between Afghan troops and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-orders-b-52-bombers-spectre-gunships-to-target-taliban-says-report-403840">Taliban</a> in Kunduz, the militant group&nbsp;claimed it had captured the key Afghan city.

Reports say street-to-street fighting is taking place in Kunduz after&nbsp;the Taliban seized their first provincial capital&nbsp;Zaranj in Nimroz and Sheberghan in Jawzjan.

Reports said&nbsp;key installations in&nbsp;Kunduz have been captured by the Taliban.

Fierce fighting is also underway in Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south.

Meanwhile, an Afghan Air Force pilot was reportedly killed in Kabul after a sticky bomb attached to his vehicle detonated. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Watch:

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Taliban has made rapid gains in rural Afghanistan in the past two months after President Joe Biden declared the last US troops will be pulled out of the region by August 31 which is now just weeks away.

On Saturday, the Taliban closed a key border in Spin Boldak crossing along the Afghanistan-Pakistan area leaving several hundred travellers stranded.

The militant group had captured Spin Boldak last month. Reports said the Taliban freed several militants after capturing Zaranj amid looting in the area.

Britain on Saturday had urged its citizens to leave the country due to the "worsening security situation".

"Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Afghanistan. Specific methods of attack are evolving and increasing in sophistication," UK's foreign office had said.

On Friday, the Taliban had shot the head of the Afghan government's media information centre even as it had carried out a bomb attack on the country's defence minister Bismillah Mohammadi in the capital.

As the fighting intensified, Central Asian leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan met in Avaza on the Caspian Sea promising to "provide all possible assistance" towards achieving peace in Afghanistan. &nbsp;

Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon said the Taliban now controls large parts of Afghanistan's border. "A number of terrorist organisations are actively strengthening their positions in these areas," Rakhmon said.

(With inputs from Agencies)&nbsp;

Amid fighting between Afghan troops and the Taliban in Kunduz, the militant group claimed it had captured the key Afghan city. Reports say street-to-street fighting is taking place in Kunduz after the Taliban seized their first provincial capital Zaranj in Nimroz and Sheberghan in Jawzjan.

Amid fighting between Afghan troops and the Taliban in Kunduz, the militant group claimed it had captured the key Afghan city. Reports say street-to-street fighting is taking place in Kunduz after the Taliban seized their first provincial capital Zaranj in Nimroz and Sheberghan in Jawzjan. Reports said key installations in Kunduz have been captured by the Taliban. Fierce fighting is also underway in Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar in the south. Meanwhile, an Afghan Air Force pilot was reportedly killed in Kabul after a sticky bomb attached to his vehicle detonated. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Watch: Taliban has made rapid gains in rural Afghanistan in the past two months after President Joe Biden declared the last US troops will be pulled out of the region by August 31 which is now just weeks away. On Saturday, the Taliban closed a key border in Spin Boldak crossing along the Afghanistan-Pakistan area leaving several hundred travellers stranded. The militant group had captured Spin Boldak last month. Reports said the Taliban freed several militants after capturing Zaranj amid looting in the area. Britain on Saturday had urged its citizens to leave the country due to the "worsening security situation". "Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Afghanistan. Specific methods of attack are evolving and increasing in sophistication," UK's foreign office had said. On Friday, the Taliban had shot the head of the Afghan government's media information centre even as it had carried out a bomb attack on the country's defence minister Bismillah Mohammadi in the capital. As the fighting intensified, Central Asian leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan met in Avaza on the Caspian Sea promising to "provide all possible assistance" towards achieving peace in Afghanistan. Tajikistan's President Emomali Rakhmon said the Taliban now controls large parts of Afghanistan's border. "A number of terrorist organisations are actively strengthening their positions in these areas," Rakhmon said. (With inputs from Agencies)

Taliban captures key installations in Kunduz, heavy fighting underway in Herat, Kandahar

Negotiators from the Afghan government and Taliban teams met Friday to discuss speeding up stalled peace talks, officials from both sides said, as a deadly mosque blast shattered the calm of a holiday ceasefire in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Despite unprecedented talks opening in September in Doha, the two warring sides have struggled to make headway, with violence escalating in Afghanistan as the United States pulls out the last of its troops.

"Today a meeting was held in Doha between the delegations of both negotiating sides," the Afghan government's peace team tweeted.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/blast-in-kabul-mosque-kills-12-worshippers-shattering-eid-ceasefire-calm-385004" hreflang="en">Blast in Kabul mosque kills 12 worshippers, shattering Eid ceasefire calm</a>

The parties "emphasized speeding up the peace talks in Doha", it added.

In a similar statement posted to Twitter, the Taliban said "both sides agreed to continue the talks after (Eid al-Fitr)", which ends on Saturday.

A three-day ceasefire agreed by the warring sides came into force on Thursday to mark the Muslim holiday, after weeks of deadly violence.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-army-leaves-kandahar-airfield-as-the-drawdown-continues-in-afghanistan-384977" hreflang="en">US army leaves Kandahar Airfield as the drawdown continues in Afghanistan</a>

But the calm was broken by a blast at a mosque on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, which killed 12 people including the imam leading Friday prayers.&nbsp;

No group has so far claimed the attack and the Taliban denied responsibility.

A spokesman for the interior ministry said the explosives were placed in the mosque ahead of the prayers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bombings-kill-11-afghans-on-first-day-of-ceasefire-384816" hreflang="en">Bombings kill 11 Afghans on first day of ceasefire</a>

Afghans have been cautiously enjoying the rare respite from violence, only the fourth such truce in the two decades-long conflict. &nbsp;

Ceasefires in the past have largely held, in what is widely thought to be an exercise by the Taliban leadership to prove it has control over the myriad factions across the country that make up the hardline movement.

US exit from key airfield base

As violence has soared, including a wave of targeted killings on Afghanistan’s educated class, international efforts have been made to jump start the talks -- &nbsp;including a one day conference in Moscow in March attended by representatives on both sides, as well as Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/afghanistan-envoy-to-india-thanks-sikh-ngo-for-providing-relief-to-afghan-refugees-384810" hreflang="en">Afghanistan envoy to India thanks Sikh NGO for providing relief to Afghan refugees</a>

Turkey was also scheduled to hold an Afghanistan conference in late April but it was postponed indefinitely because the Taliban declined to attend.

The United States, Russia and other mediators want to see some form of transitional government take power in Afghanistan involving the Taliban, but President Ashraf Ghani has insisted leaders can only be chosen at the ballot box.

Having made enormous gains on the battleground, the Taliban appear to have little to gain from either strategy.

Washington has vowed to end America's longest war but missed a deadline earlier this month to withdraw all of its troops, as agreed with the Taliban in return for security guarantees and a promise to launch talks with the Afghan government, who were cut out of the deal.

President Joe Biden pushed back the date to September 11,&nbsp;20 years after the US invaded Afghanistan and ousted the hardline Taliban.

US and Afghan officials on Friday said Washington had pulled out completely from a major southern air base in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, just a week after US airstrikes were launched from the airfield to push back a Taliban offensive.&nbsp;

An Afghan army officer at Kandahar Airfield, who asked not to be named, told AFP that government forces would be left exposed by the pullout.

"It is now going to be very difficult for us to conduct operations," he said. "Our aircraft can't fly at night so the night operations are going to be difficult."

Kandahar was the birthplace of the Taliban and has in recent months seen intense clashes between the resurgent militants and Afghan forces.&nbsp;

Despite the withdrawal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone call to President Ashraf Ghani promised "steadfast support" for Afghan forces, the State Department said, adding that he condemned the recent attacks, including a series of blasts outside a girls' school in Kabul which killed more than 50 people, mostly teenage girls.

Negotiators from the Afghan government and Taliban teams met Friday to discuss speeding up stalled peace talks, officials from both sides said, as a deadly mosque blast shattered the calm of a holiday ceasefire in Afghanistan.

Negotiators from the Afghan government and Taliban teams met Friday to discuss speeding up stalled peace talks, officials from both sides said, as a deadly mosque blast shattered the calm of a holiday ceasefire in Afghanistan. Despite unprecedented talks opening in September in Doha, the two warring sides have struggled to make headway, with violence escalating in Afghanistan as the United States pulls out the last of its troops. "Today a meeting was held in Doha between the delegations of both negotiating sides," the Afghan government's peace team tweeted. Also read | Blast in Kabul mosque kills 12 worshippers, shattering Eid ceasefire calm The parties "emphasized speeding up the peace talks in Doha", it added. In a similar statement posted to Twitter, the Taliban said "both sides agreed to continue the talks after (Eid al-Fitr)", which ends on Saturday. A three-day ceasefire agreed by the warring sides came into force on Thursday to mark the Muslim holiday, after weeks of deadly violence. Also read | US army leaves Kandahar Airfield as the drawdown continues in Afghanistan But the calm was broken by a blast at a mosque on the outskirts of the Afghan capital, which killed 12 people including the imam leading Friday prayers. No group has so far claimed the attack and the Taliban denied responsibility. A spokesman for the interior ministry said the explosives were placed in the mosque ahead of the prayers. Also read | Bombings kill 11 Afghans on first day of ceasefire Afghans have been cautiously enjoying the rare respite from violence, only the fourth such truce in the two decades-long conflict. Ceasefires in the past have largely held, in what is widely thought to be an exercise by the Taliban leadership to prove it has control over the myriad factions across the country that make up the hardline movement. US exit from key airfield base As violence has soared, including a wave of targeted killings on Afghanistan’s educated class, international efforts have been made to jump start the talks -- including a one day conference in Moscow in March attended by representatives on both sides, as well as Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan. Also read | Afghanistan envoy to India thanks Sikh NGO for providing relief to Afghan refugees Turkey was also scheduled to hold an Afghanistan conference in late April but it was postponed indefinitely because the Taliban declined to attend. The United States, Russia and other mediators want to see some form of transitional government take power in Afghanistan involving the Taliban, but President Ashraf Ghani has insisted leaders can only be chosen at the ballot box. Having made enormous gains on the battleground, the Taliban appear to have little to gain from either strategy. Washington has vowed to end America's longest war but missed a deadline earlier this month to withdraw all of its troops, as agreed with the Taliban in return for security guarantees and a promise to launch talks with the Afghan government, who were cut out of the deal. President Joe Biden pushed back the date to September 11, 20 years after the US invaded Afghanistan and ousted the hardline Taliban. US and Afghan officials on Friday said Washington had pulled out completely from a major southern air base in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, just a week after US airstrikes were launched from the airfield to push back a Taliban offensive. An Afghan army officer at Kandahar Airfield, who asked not to be named, told AFP that government forces would be left exposed by the pullout. "It is now going to be very difficult for us to conduct operations," he said. "Our aircraft can't fly at night so the night operations are going to be difficult." Kandahar was the birthplace of the Taliban and has in recent months seen intense clashes between the resurgent militants and Afghan forces. Despite the withdrawal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a telephone call to President Ashraf Ghani promised "steadfast support" for Afghan forces, the State Department said, adding that he condemned the recent attacks, including a series of blasts outside a girls' school in Kabul which killed more than 50 people, mostly teenage girls.

Warring Afghan sides discuss peace talks as deadly blast hits mosque

Two American soldiers were killed and two others injured in a roadside bomb attack on a US Army vehicle in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO mission there said.

Two American soldiers were killed and two others injured in a roadside bomb attack on a US Army vehicle in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO mission there said. "In accordance with US Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members killed in action will be withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete," the NATO Resolute Support mission said in a statement. The incident took place in Dand district of southern Kandahar province, where a bomb hit a US armoured vehicle, provincial police spokesman Jamal Nasir Barkzai told reporters. "Foreign forces were patrolling near the Kandahar airport when they were hit by a blast," officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying on Twitter that the blast destroyed the vehicle, killing all on board. Violence in Afghanistan usually recedes as the cold winter sets in but this year the Taliban have pushed forward with their operations despite heavy snowfall in the mountains and despite their negotiations with the US for a deal that would see American troops leave the country. (With inputs from agencies)

Two US soldiers killed in Afghanistan bomb attack, says NATO mission

A Taliban roadside bomb ripped through a US army vehicle in southern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-15-dead-in-pakistan-mosque-suicide-bombing-273482">Afghanistan</a> on Saturday, officials said, with no immediate details of casualties.

The incident took place in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/roadside-mine-blast-in-northern-afghanistan-kills-eight-259889">Dand</a> district of southern Kandahar province, where a bomb hit a US armoured vehicle, provincial police spokesman Jamal Nasir Barkzai told reporters.

"Foreign forces were patrolling near the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/ic-814-bees-saal-baad-hijack-vs-hijacked-270028">Kandahar airport</a> when they were hit by a blast. We don't have the details of the casualties because they have cordoned off the area," he said.

A NATO Resolute Support spokesman in southern Afghanistan confirmed the incident and said the situation was being assessed.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlFath?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AlFath</a> 
Powerful IED shred American APC to pieces in Kro Shela area close to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kandahar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kandahar</a> airbase this morning resulting in all invaders aboard killed - Ahmadi
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The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/10-afghan-soldiers-killed-in-taliban-attack-270736">Zabihullah Mujahid</a> saying on Twitter that the blast destroyed the vehicle, killing all on board.

Violence in Afghanistan usually recedes as the cold winter sets in but this year the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-8-policemen-killed-in-taliban-attack-271470">Taliban</a> have pushed forward with their operations despite heavy snowfall in the mountains and despite their negotiations with the US for a deal that would see American troops leave the country.

According to parts of the deal made public so far, the Pentagon would pull about 5,000 of its 13,000 or so troops from five bases across Afghanistan, provided the Taliban sticks to its security pledges.

The insurgents have said they will renounce <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-releases-spying-convict-as-part-of-prisoners-swap-deal-with-syria-273434">Al-Qaeda</a>, fight the Islamic State group and stop jihadists using Afghanistan as a safe haven.

Last year was the deadliest for US forces in Afghanistan since combat operations officially finished at the end of 2014, highlighting the challenging security situation that persists.

More than 2,400 US troops have been killed in combat in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in October 2001.

A Taliban roadside bomb ripped through a US army vehicle in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said, with no immediate details of casualties. The incident took place in Dand district of southern Kandahar province, where a bomb hit a US armoured vehicle, provincial police spokesman Jamal Nasir Barkzai told reporters.

A Taliban roadside bomb ripped through a US army vehicle in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said, with no immediate details of casualties. The incident took place in Dand district of southern Kandahar province, where a bomb hit a US armoured vehicle, provincial police spokesman Jamal Nasir Barkzai told reporters. "Foreign forces were patrolling near the Kandahar airport when they were hit by a blast. We don't have the details of the casualties because they have cordoned off the area," he said. A NATO Resolute Support spokesman in southern Afghanistan confirmed the incident and said the situation was being assessed. #AlFath Powerful IED shred American APC to pieces in Kro Shela area close to #Kandahar airbase this morning resulting in all invaders aboard killed - Ahmadi — Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) January 11, 2020 × The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying on Twitter that the blast destroyed the vehicle, killing all on board. Violence in Afghanistan usually recedes as the cold winter sets in but this year the Taliban have pushed forward with their operations despite heavy snowfall in the mountains and despite their negotiations with the US for a deal that would see American troops leave the country. According to parts of the deal made public so far, the Pentagon would pull about 5,000 of its 13,000 or so troops from five bases across Afghanistan, provided the Taliban sticks to its security pledges. The insurgents have said they will renounce Al-Qaeda, fight the Islamic State group and stop jihadists using Afghanistan as a safe haven. Last year was the deadliest for US forces in Afghanistan since combat operations officially finished at the end of 2014, highlighting the challenging security situation that persists. More than 2,400 US troops have been killed in combat in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in October 2001.

Afghanistan: Blast hits US army vehicle in Dand, Taliban claims responsibility

As many as 15 Taliban terrorists were killed and two others arrested in an operation by Afghan Special Forces in the country's southern province of Kandahar, the command of special forces said on Saturday.

The operation was conducted in Khinjak area of Nish district on Friday, Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps said in a statement as cited by Xinhua news agency.

The Taliban has not made any comment on the report yet.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

As many as 15 Taliban terrorists were killed and two others arrested in an operation by Afghan Special Forces in the country's southern province of Kandahar, the command of special forces said on Saturday.

As many as 15 Taliban terrorists were killed and two others arrested in an operation by Afghan Special Forces in the country's southern province of Kandahar, the command of special forces said on Saturday. The operation was conducted in Khinjak area of Nish district on Friday, Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps said in a statement as cited by Xinhua news agency. The Taliban has not made any comment on the report yet.

Afghanistan: 15 Taliban terrorists killed in Kandahar

The Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) said that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-12-dead-in-taliban-attack-on-afghan-police-headquarters-236974">Kandahar terror attack</a> was plotted from Chaman in Pakistan. Chaman is the second-largest city of Pakistan's northwest Balochistan province and borders Afghanistan's Kandahar province.

NDS said it will be releasing entire gamut of details regarding the attack tomorrow.

Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack on the police headquarters on Thursday that killed 12.

This is not for the first time Afghanistan has said that an attack in the south Asian country had links across the border in Pakistan.&nbsp;According to NDS, The 2017 Kabul terror attack near the German embassy that killed 150 people, the worst in Afghanistan, was planned in Pakistan.

The development comes ahead of the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's Washington visit to meet US President Donald Trump.

Ahead of the visit, 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed was arrested on terror financing charges after "pressure" from Washington.

The increased terror attacks come even has the Afghan peace process gathers pace. India on Thursday said, "any process should respect the constitutional legacy and political mandate" and "should not lead to any ungoverned spaces where terrorist and their proxies can relocate."

Both New Delhi and Kabul have blamed Islamabad for destabilizing the region and providing sanctuaries to a terrorist on its territory, something which&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;has denied despite being provided evidence.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Pakistan has rejected Afghanistan accusations. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Md Faisal said, "Pakistan rejects baseless accusations concerning recent terrorist incidents in Afghanistan."

Adding further Dr FAisal said," The public blame-game is contrary to the spirit of the understanding between the leadership of the two countries to address issues through close coordination amongst relevant agencies."

"Condemning all acts of terrorism in Afghanistan" Faisal hoped that "both sides would continue working constructively for durable peace in Afghanistan and the region."

The Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) said that the Kandahar terror attack was plotted from Chaman in Pakistan. Chaman is the second-largest city of Pakistan's northwest Balochistan province and borders Afghanistan's Kandahar province.

The Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) said that the Kandahar terror attack was plotted from Chaman in Pakistan. Chaman is the second-largest city of Pakistan's northwest Balochistan province and borders Afghanistan's Kandahar province. NDS said it will be releasing entire gamut of details regarding the attack tomorrow. Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack on the police headquarters on Thursday that killed 12. This is not for the first time Afghanistan has said that an attack in the south Asian country had links across the border in Pakistan. According to NDS, The 2017 Kabul terror attack near the German embassy that killed 150 people, the worst in Afghanistan, was planned in Pakistan. The development comes ahead of the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's Washington visit to meet US President Donald Trump. Ahead of the visit, 26/11 mastermind, Hafiz Saeed was arrested on terror financing charges after "pressure" from Washington. The increased terror attacks come even has the Afghan peace process gathers pace. India on Thursday said, "any process should respect the constitutional legacy and political mandate" and "should not lead to any ungoverned spaces where terrorist and their proxies can relocate." Both New Delhi and Kabul have blamed Islamabad for destabilizing the region and providing sanctuaries to a terrorist on its territory, something which Pakistan has denied despite being provided evidence. Meanwhile, Pakistan has rejected Afghanistan accusations. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Md Faisal said, "Pakistan rejects baseless accusations concerning recent terrorist incidents in Afghanistan." Adding further Dr FAisal said," The public blame-game is contrary to the spirit of the understanding between the leadership of the two countries to address issues through close coordination amongst relevant agencies." "Condemning all acts of terrorism in Afghanistan" Faisal hoped that "both sides would continue working constructively for durable peace in Afghanistan and the region."

Afghanistan blames Pakistan for Kandahar attack ahead of Imran-Trump meet

Ghost of Kandahar: How Masood Azhar's release keeps haunting India

A suicide car bomb attack on a bus carrying police officers and workers in central Afghanistan killed at least five people Saturday, officials said.

Another 12 were wounded in the Taliban-claimed blast in the Wardak provincial capital of Maidan Shar, provincial police spokesman Hekmatullah Durrani told AFP.

The explosion happened as the bus entered the main entrance of a police compound. Two officers and three workers were among the dead, Durrani said.

The wounded were all mechanics on the base.

Provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal put the death toll slightly higher at six.

In a WhatsApp message, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said "tens of Afghan police and soldiers were killed" in the attack.

The latest attack by the Taliban comes amid a flurry of US-led diplomatic activity to convince the group to negotiate an end to the 17-year war.

In an apparent move to aid talks, top Taliban commander Abdul Ghani Baradar has been released by Pakistan after more than eight years in detention, sources said Thursday.

That came less than two weeks after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban's representatives in Qatar to discuss ending the Afghan conflict.

A suicide car bomb attack on a bus carrying police officers and workers in central Afghanistan killed at least five people Saturday, officials said. Another 12 were wounded in the Taliban-claimed blast in the Wardak provincial capital of Maidan Shar, provincial police spokesman Hekmatullah Durrani told AFP.

A suicide car bomb attack on a bus carrying police officers and workers in central Afghanistan killed at least five people Saturday, officials said. Another 12 were wounded in the Taliban-claimed blast in the Wardak provincial capital of Maidan Shar, provincial police spokesman Hekmatullah Durrani told AFP. The explosion happened as the bus entered the main entrance of a police compound. Two officers and three workers were among the dead, Durrani said. The wounded were all mechanics on the base. Provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal put the death toll slightly higher at six. In a WhatsApp message, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said "tens of Afghan police and soldiers were killed" in the attack. The latest attack by the Taliban comes amid a flurry of US-led diplomatic activity to convince the group to negotiate an end to the 17-year war. In an apparent move to aid talks, top Taliban commander Abdul Ghani Baradar has been released by Pakistan after more than eight years in detention, sources said Thursday. That came less than two weeks after US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban's representatives in Qatar to discuss ending the Afghan conflict.

Suicide attack on Afghan police bus kills five: Officials

The top US&nbsp;general in Afghanistan said on Friday he did not believe he was the target of an attack that killed a powerful police chief, and Afghan officials said the gunman may have deliberately avoided hitting him.

The gunman assassinated the police chief of Kandahar province on Thursday along with a top Afghan intelligence agency officer, but the US&nbsp;commander of Afghanistan's NATO-led force, General Scott Miller, who was standing nearby when the attack occurred, was not hurt.

"My assessment is that I was not the target. It was a very close confined space. But I don't assess that I was the target," Miller told Afghanistan's Tolo News TV in an interview.

General Abdul Razeq, police commander of the southern province and one of Afghanistan's most powerful security officials, was fatally wounded by a bodyguard of the provincial governor as he came from a meeting with officials on Thursday.

In addition, the local head of the NDS intelligence service was killed and the provincial governor severely wounded, while the attacker himself was killed.

Miller was also at the meeting and was heading to his helicopter to return to Kabul when the gunman opened fire.

The Taliban claimed the attack in a statement saying both Razeq and Miller were the targets.

Two Americans and a coalition contractor were wounded, however, Afghan security officials, who believe Pakistan was involved in the plan, said they believed the attacker deliberately avoided killing Miller.

"They didn't want repercussions from the US&nbsp;and the international community. It was a pure warning for Miller that they can hit him if they want to," one of the Afghan officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Razeq himself was a fierce critic of Pakistan and its intelligence service, which Afghan officials regularly accuse of supporting Taliban operations, a charge Islamabad denies.

On Friday, the chief of the Pakistan army staff issued a statement condemning the Kandahar violence and saying it supported initiatives towards peace in the region.

A foreign security official said Razeq had stopped visiting the governor's house in recent months because he feared it had been infiltrated and had only gone because Miller and his delegation were there.

The identity of the killer, named by Afghan officials as Gulbuddin, was known immediately, and police have made three arrests, but details of his background or why he carried out the attack remained unclear.

One senior foreign security official briefed on the case said the attacker had been recruited this year as part of the governor's security detail.

No one had claimed his body, but his colleagues in the security team said his family members lived in the outskirts of Kandahar.

The top US general in Afghanistan said on Friday he did not believe he was the target of an attack that killed a powerful police chief, and Afghan officials said the gunman may have deliberately avoided hitting him.

The top US general in Afghanistan said on Friday he did not believe he was the target of an attack that killed a powerful police chief, and Afghan officials said the gunman may have deliberately avoided hitting him. The gunman assassinated the police chief of Kandahar province on Thursday along with a top Afghan intelligence agency officer, but the US commander of Afghanistan's NATO-led force, General Scott Miller, who was standing nearby when the attack occurred, was not hurt. "My assessment is that I was not the target. It was a very close confined space. But I don't assess that I was the target," Miller told Afghanistan's Tolo News TV in an interview. General Abdul Razeq, police commander of the southern province and one of Afghanistan's most powerful security officials, was fatally wounded by a bodyguard of the provincial governor as he came from a meeting with officials on Thursday. In addition, the local head of the NDS intelligence service was killed and the provincial governor severely wounded, while the attacker himself was killed. Miller was also at the meeting and was heading to his helicopter to return to Kabul when the gunman opened fire. The Taliban claimed the attack in a statement saying both Razeq and Miller were the targets. Two Americans and a coalition contractor were wounded, however, Afghan security officials, who believe Pakistan was involved in the plan, said they believed the attacker deliberately avoided killing Miller. "They didn't want repercussions from the US and the international community. It was a pure warning for Miller that they can hit him if they want to," one of the Afghan officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Razeq himself was a fierce critic of Pakistan and its intelligence service, which Afghan officials regularly accuse of supporting Taliban operations, a charge Islamabad denies. On Friday, the chief of the Pakistan army staff issued a statement condemning the Kandahar violence and saying it supported initiatives towards peace in the region. A foreign security official said Razeq had stopped visiting the governor's house in recent months because he feared it had been infiltrated and had only gone because Miller and his delegation were there. The identity of the killer, named by Afghan officials as Gulbuddin, was known immediately, and police have made three arrests, but details of his background or why he carried out the attack remained unclear. One senior foreign security official briefed on the case said the attacker had been recruited this year as part of the governor's security detail. No one had claimed his body, but his colleagues in the security team said his family members lived in the outskirts of Kandahar.

Afghanistan: US general says he may not have been target of Kandahar attack

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