Violence 94 per cent down nation-wide

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Armed attacks in the past three days and nights since the start of Reduction in Violence (RiV) week has declined by 94 percent, Pajhwok Afghan News has learned.

First Vice President Elect AmrullahSaleh during a meeting with media representatives said militants carried out 70 to 80 attacks daily before the start of RiV week nation-wide.

He said the RiV purpose was that attacks should come down up at least by 80 percent.

He said Afghan and foreign security forces in Afghanistan monitored the RiV and issues related to that were being shared with the Taliban Political Office in Qatar.

He said after the US-Taliban agreement, a joint committee of the Taliban, US and Afghan forces would be formed to monitor the situation.

Pajhwok Afghan News also monitored the RiV and noticed a drastic decline in violence since the beginning of RiV the previous night.

Pajhwok Afghan News monitors the RIV and leaned that 13 attacks had taken place until 12:00 last night, while an average 75 attacks took place in the corresponded period before the start of RiV period.

Pajhwok Afghan News reports show in the past three years 70 people were either killed or wounded on a daily basis, But in the past three days and night this number declined to 30 persons — 14 killed and 16 injured.

In the past three days and nights one attack happened in Balkh, one in Paktia’sZazaiAyoub, one in the Chinarto district of Uruzgan, one in the Andkhoi district of Faryab, one each in Maroof and Chinarto districts, two attacks in the Helmand, one in Samangan, one in MaidanWardak, two in Farah and one incident of kidnapping in Samangan province.

No group claimed responsibility for these attacks.

Taliban spokesperson ZabihullahMujahid on his twitter page wrote: “All provincial capitals, corps, divisions, brigades & bases of foreign forces are included as part of creating suitable conditions for agreement signing.

Other than these, Mujahidin attacks must not be considered a violation b/c this is not a general ceasefire.

Separately, a former Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan commander was killed in an armed attack and his bodyguard injured.

An armed clash reportedly broke out between Senator Saleh Mohammad’s men and the BagramMujahideen Council Head Shah Jan’s men.(Pajhwok)