It is the first deadly attack since a three-day ceasefire announced over the Eid al-Fitr holiday ended on Tuesday.
A drop in violence due to the truce
largely held since it ended on Tuesday night
At least 14 members of the Afghan security forces have
been killed in an attack officials blame on the Taliban, the first deadly
assault since a three-day ceasefire ended at midnight on Tuesday.
The fighters attacked a checkpoint in Parwan province
north of the capital, Kabul, said Waheeda Shahkar, spokesperson for the
provincial governor. "The Taliban have also suffered
casualties," Shahkar said.
District police chief Hussain Shah said Taliban fighters
set fire to the checkpoint, killing five security force personnel. Two more
were shot dead.
The
Taliban has not commented.
It
is the first attack that Afghan officials have blamed on the Taliban since the
end of three-day ceasefire held over the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
According
to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, civilian casualties fell by
80 percent during the temporary truce.
A
drop in violence has largely held since it ended on Tuesday night, although
Afghan security forces carried out air strikes in the south on Wednesday that
killed 18 fighters, police said.
Taliban prisoners released
The
surprise truce offer from the Taliban and the lull in fighting has raised hopes
that stalled peace negotiations between the fighters and the Afghan government
could resume soon.
Afghan
authorities have responded to the ceasefire by releasing hundreds of
Taliban prisoners this week, and plan to further free an equal number of
inmates in the coming days.
The Taliban has also said it
plans to free a group of government prisoners.
The
exchange is part of a US-Taliban deal signed in February, which excluded the
Afghan government, that stipulates Kabul would release up to 5,000 Taliban
prisoners and the Taliban would free about 1,000 national security personnel.
Kabul
had already freed about 1,000 Taliban inmates before the ceasefire, while the
Taliban had released about 300 government captives.