‘Resumption of offensive campaign may hamper intra-Afghan talks’

KABUL (Agencies): Russian government has expressed concerns over President Ghani’s order for resuming offensive against Taliban a move that “could hamper the intra-Afghan peace talks”.

Ghani ordered army and police to restart attacks on terrorist groups immediately after an attack on a maternity hospital in Kabul that killed more than 20 people mostly women and newborn babies. The Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack carried out in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in west of capital.

Zamir Kabulov, Russian envoy for Afghanistan affairs, said Wednesday that resuming of Afghan army’s offensive would make obstacles before negotiations among Afghans. He, however condemned Kabul hospital attack as “inhumane and tyrannous”.

Kabulov was quoted by the Russian news agency Sputnik as saying that Taliban had no logics for carrying out such terrorist attacks. He said that Daesh tries to destabilize the situation in Afghanistan through any possible ways.

Taliban said they were not behind the hospital attack.

The Russian diplomat rejected Ghani’s offensive order as a “threat for peace agreement” and the intra-Afghan talks.

He called on Afghan officials to focus more on fighting against Daesh terrorist group.

Ghani in a televised address to the nation, blamed Taliban for not listening to voices for peace and have continued violence.