Afghan families flee war-torn Kandahar province

Almost 17,000 Afghan families have
left the Kandahar province in Afghanistan, following months of heavy fighting between
insurgents and government forces despite peace talks, AFP reported.

The clashes have intensified since
October in the Southern province, largely the birthplace of the Taliban movement.

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Continuous attacks on several districts
on the outskirts of provincial capital Kandahar City have been launched by
insurgent forces, wherein 7,000 families – or roughly 35,000 residents – have
fled their homes and sought refuge in the capital, Kabul.

“We have set up camps and tents in
several parts of the city for them. We have been able to provide only basic
food items to about 2,000 families,” AFP quoted Dost Mohammad Nayab,
Director, Kandahar Refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDP) Department as
saying.

Ever since a deal between the US and
the Taliban in February, 2020, the insurgent group has refrained from bombing cities,
but has regularly launched attacks against the Afghan forces in rural areas.

Also read: Afghan peace talks resume as bloodshed continues

Amidst the violence, second round of
talks between the government and the Taliban continued on Wednesday in Qatar’s
capital Doha.

“We want a
ceasefire tomorrow but we know the facts and based on that the peace talks will
take time,” Afghan Vice President Amrullah said on Thursday, noting that
the talks had reached a crucial stage.