Bloodshed continues on Afghan soil: 14 civilians, 9 soldiers killed in three incidents

(AP) Kabul, May 20, 2020, Wednesday

Gunmen have killed 12 people in two separate incidents in the ongoing war in war-torn Afghanistan, while the Taliban have targeted a government checkpoint in the northeast, killing nine soldiers.

Violence has escalated again after the United Nations called for an end to violence in the country, with US Special Envoy for Peace Zelm Khalilzad launching a second round of talks with the Taliban to pressure the Taliban to negotiate with Afghanistan's compromised political leadership.

Several gunmen stormed a mosque in the northern province of Parwan, killing at least 11 worshipers and wounding several others.

In another incident, gunmen attacked a family returning home from a nearby mosque in East Khost province, killing three brothers. No one has claimed responsibility for either incident. However, the Taliban immediately denied any involvement. The Islamic State group, which has lost to the government and US forces on the battlefield, as well as to its Taliban rivals, has carried out such attacks in the past.

The United States has blamed Islamic State militants for last week's attack on a maternity hospital in Kabul, which killed nine people, including two children and some newlyweds.