Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Tampa Bay news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Charlotte news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Photo: Bashir Khan Safi/AFP/Getty Images
The Taliban carried out an attack in the city of Kunduz, Afghanistan early Saturday morning, killing at least 10 civilians and wounding more than 75, as U.S. and Taliban leaders worked to negotiate a peace deal in Qatar, the AP reports.
Why it matters: Both sides have indicated they are nearing an agreement, though some members of the Taliban are resisting efforts to end the nearly 18-year war, says Al-Jazeera. The Taliban wants American troops sent home, while the U.S. wants a complete ceasefire.
Militants "now control or hold sway over roughly half of the country and are at their strongest since their 2001 defeat by a U.S.-led invasion," according to the AP.
What they're saying:
- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says government forces were able to push back on the attack, and the Taliban wants "to create an atmosphere of fear in the city," per Al-Jazeera.
- Saturday's attack served as evidence that "the Taliban are not interested in a cease-fire," the AP notes per an Afghan analyst.
Go deeper: Afghanistan peace talks: U.S. pushes toward “face-saving way out"