Over 400 Afghan security men killed or hurt in past week

KABUL: The Taliban have killed or wounded more than 400 Afghan security personnel over the past week, the interior ministry said Sunday, accusing the insurgents of increasing attacks ahead of expected peace talks.

Violence had dropped across much of Afghanistan since the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire on May 24 to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday, but officials have accused the insurgents of stepping up attacks in recent days. "In the past one week, the Taliban carried out 222 attacks against the Afghan security forces, resulting in the death and injury of 422" personnel, interior ministry spokesman Tareq Arian said at a press conference.

On Friday, four people including a prayer leader were killed when a blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul during the weekly prayers. No group claimed that assault, which came just over a week after an Islamic State-claimed attack at a mosque on the edge of Kabul´s heavily fortified Green Zone killed a prominent prayer leader.

The Taliban condemned both attacks. After initially reporting a drop in overall violence following the ceasefire, National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal on Sunday said the Taliban "have not reduced, but rather increased their attacks across the country".