WEB DESK

The Taliban killed at least 20 Afghan soldiers and policemen in a string of overnight attacks, hours after US President Donald Trump had a talk with the insurgents’ political chief.

The militants have ramped up violence against Afghan security forces in recent days, ending a partial truce put in place during the run-up to a landmark US-Taliban withdrawal deal signed in Doha recently.

The violence has cast a pall on the nascent Afghan peace process, with the insurgents clashing with Kabul over a prisoner exchange dispute ahead of talks that are due to begin on March 10. Under the terms of the deal, US and other foreign forces will quit Afghanistan within 14 months, subject to Taliban security guarantees and a pledge by the insurgents to hold talks with the national government in Kabul.