Afghanistan: At least six people were killed in a mortar attack on a wedding party

 At least six Afghans have been killed and several others injured in a mortar attack on a wedding party in the northern Afghan province of Kapisa.

According to Afghan security officials, the mortar attack took place on Saturday evening in Tagab district of Kapisa province while a wedding ceremony was going on there. Fighting between Afghan government forces and the Taliban has also been reported in the area.

Provincial police spokesman Shaiq Shuraish has accused the Taliban of firing mortar shells. According to him, the victims of the blast included women and children.

 Afghan Forces Can Take Responsibility for Security Alone: ​​NATO Chief However, a Taliban spokesman has denied the allegation and said that the mortar shell was fired by Afghan security forces.

At least 10 people were killed and 18 injured in the incident, according to a senior police official in Kabul.

Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces has intensified in recent days as US and NATO forces begin withdrawing from Afghanistan on May 1.

The violence has escalated since US President Joe Biden announced the complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 this year.

The United States, meanwhile, has been making constant diplomatic efforts to somehow persuade the Afghan government and the Taliban to agree on a peace deal to end the long war. However, the process of inter-Afghan talks, which began in Qatar in September last year, has been extremely slow and uncertain.

Both sides are accusing each other of delaying and obstructing.

The United Nations said last month that fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban had killed or injured about 1,800 Afghan civilians in the first three months of this year.