Dozens killed in clashes between rival Taliban factions in Afghanistan

Up to 100 militants die in Herat during latest insurrection against
group’s leader, further complicating peace efforts

Sune Engel Rasmussen in Kabul
Thursday 10 March 2016 17.52 GMT

Dozens of militants have been killed during clashes between rival Taliban factions in the latest outbreak of an insurrection against the group’s leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, which flared up last year when the movement’s founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was announced dead.

Up to 100 fighters were killed in the Shindand district of Herat in western Afghanistan, officials told local media on Thursday, when followers of Mullah Mohammad Rasool clashed with Mansoor supporters.

The hostilities are complicating efforts to revive peace talks. A recently established group of Afghan, Pakistani, American and Chinese officials have invited the Taliban to discuss peace, but for the moment the militants seem preoccupied with fighting each other, and the government.

In an unpublished roadmap seen by the Guardian, the four countries call on all Taliban factions to join the reconciliation process. A big question, meanwhile, is whether the Taliban see any benefit in pursuing peace at a time when they may feel they are winning.

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