Atta Mohammad Noor, the CEO of the Jamiat-e-Islami party, speaking at a gathering in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, on Thursday addressed government leaders: "If you are not able to improve the security situation of the country, then let us take action."  

Noor urged President Ghani to not arm "the murderers of the people of Afghanistan" because "the outcome will not be good,” without giving details. 

"If the government does not pay attention to areas lacking security, then we must take action and we don't care if they call them militia..." Noor said.  

Noor said the security situation has been worse in the northern part of Afghanistan. 

“The government leaders were warned of the return of the families of the foreign fighters from the middle of Asia to Badakhshan province, but it has been ignored and that is why the security deteriorated across the country and in the northern provinces,” he said. 

He also warned: “If people also destroy the peace process then they will face the second resistance.” 

The US and Taliban signed an agreement in Doha, Qatar, in February that included the withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meet certain conditions, including a reduction in violence leading to a ceasefire and peace talks with the Afghan government.  

But the violence and targeted killing has been on the rise in Afghanistan. 

American troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan after US President Donald Trump last month ordered the number of US forces to be nearly halved to 2,500 by January 15, five days before he leaves office.   

Acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, after visiting US forces and American military leadership in Kabul on Tuesday, said that special operations forces were the first deployed in the war in Afghanistan and would likely be the last troops to leave the country, according to a Stars and Stripes report.  

The report said that Miller traveled to Camp Morehead, located south of Kabul, where US special operations forces train Afghan commandos, to hear from troops about the war from the ground. 

Peace talks  

On Wednesday, The High Council of National Reconciliation (HCNR) said that the meeting of the leadership committee of the council would be convened in the near future where it will clarify its main demands for the agenda of the peace negotiations. 

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the HCNR, said in a meeting that the negotiating team will be given all necessary directives and guidelines so that they can go to the next round of the talks with a clear agenda and directives. 
 
However, members of the peace negotiating team said that a lack of agenda for the talks will create challenges in the way of the process. 

A week has passed since the peace negotiating team representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan began their consultations in Kabul. However, there are concerns about political divisions within the process in Kabul. 

Recently Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to conduct the next round of talks in Kabul. 

Targeted killings  

Yousuf Rasheed, CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), was killed by unknown gunmen in Kabul city on Wednesday morning. 

Rasheed and his driver Sami were killed on Wednesday in the Tani Koot area in PD7 of Kabul city while he was on his way to the office and gunmen started shooting at his vehicle, Abdul Baqi Rasheed, his brother, said.   

No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.  

The assassination of Rasheed follows the killing of Rahmad Nikzad, journalist and chair of Ghazni’s Association of Journalists, and five doctors in the last three days. Other recent victims are Yama Siawash, former TOLOnews anchor, and Malalai Maiwand, journalist and women’s rights activist. 

“The last months in Afghanistan have seen a worrying trend of systematic targeted attacks and killings of journalists, human rights defenders, civil society representatives and civil servants,” said EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.  

"The EU expects transparent and thorough investigations of all these attacks and assassinations. The perpetrators and those ordering these crimes, regardless of affiliation, should be held accountable in fair trials," Borrell said.  

"UNAMA mourns the loss of so many outstanding citizens, condemns those responsible and urges authorities to bring them to account,” the UN organization said in a statement.  

“Targeted killings of civilians are taking place at a deeply disturbing rate in Afghanistan,” it said, adding that “In the last four days alone Afghanistan has seen the killing of a well-known journalist, a group of medics and head of a leading election watchdog. Such dreadful attacks are rarely claimed and frequently focus on those working for an open society."  

“The UN repeats its call for a sustained reduction in violence. Lives and gains must be protected, with spoilers prevented from undermining the vital peace negotiations, due to resume 5 January,” it added.  

Also, the US Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson said Rasheed was a "dedicated and steadfast advocate for representative democracy in Afghanistan."  

"He worked tirelessly for years to ensure free and transparent elections that engaged all Afghans. His death is a loss for his family, friends and nation," Wilson said.