Deadly attacks deal blow to Trump's Afghan peace deal
The Taliban loaded a truck with explosives and blew it up near a court in the eastern Afghan city of Gardez on Thursday (May 14) killing at least five people.
The explosion comes just two days after a suicide bombing tore through a funeral, killing over 30 people.
And on the same day, three gunmen opened fire at a maternity hospital and killed mothers as well as two newborn babies.
An Islamic State offshoot claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing,but no one has claimed the assault on the maternity ward.
The horrific attacks are a huge setback for President Donald Trump's long shot peace deal in Afghanistan and has cast skepticism over the promise of a peace deal brokere d between the U.S. and the Taliban in talks that didn't include President Ashraf Ghani's government.
Digging graves for victims of the hospital attack, a relative of a deceased family member questions the will of the Afghan government and the Taliban to work together.
"If the government loves the people of this country, it must provide security and justice and protect the lives and property of the people so that the people will recognize this government. Otherwise, if the situation continues like this, there will be no place to live in this country and this kind of killing will continue."
Meanwhile, Washington is still planning to cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to 8,600 from about 13,000.
Despite years of war and constant violence, the week's events have been a shock in the hospital where nurses tried to soothe the babies after the attack,
Dr Abdul Qudrat descibed the grim toll.
"Nineteen newborn babies have been brought to our hospital by security forces. The mothers of two of these babies survived and are with them. Five babies have their relatives , although their mothers are still missing, and no relatives have been found yet for the other 12 babies."
Now, Afghanistan is on edge, as the country's military switches to offensive mode.
