Aug 31, 2019

Taliban attacks Afghan city Kunduz amid U.S. peace talks

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"

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U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

The CDC is warning of potentially "aggressive rodent behavior" amid a rise in reports of rat activity in several areas, as the animals search further for food while Americans stay home more during the coronavirus pandemic.

By the numbers: More than 97,700 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 366,700 Americans have recovered and more than 14.1 million tests have been conducted.

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World coronavirus updates

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Japan's economy minister outlined plans on Monday to end the nationwide state of emergency as the number of new novel coronavirus cases continues to decline to fewer than 50 a day, per Bloomberg. Japan has reported 16,550 cases and 820 deaths.

By the numbers: Over 5.4 million people have tested positive for the virus as of Monday, and more than 2.1 million have recovered. The U.S. has reported the most cases in the world (over 1.6 million from 13.7 million tests). The U.K. is reporting over 36,800 deaths from the coronavirus — the most fatalities outside the U.S.

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