The Ministry of Public Health said Wednesday that of the 15 suspected cases of coronavirus from Herat, Ghor and Kabul provinces, only one was positive, in Herat, and the 14 other cases came back negative after tests in Kabul.

“The number of incidents is not increasing and is under control, but that does not mean that the number of incidents will not increase, because we have to be careful--and those who travel to Iran and come back when they find symptoms--we called them suspects,” said Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz.

At least four civilians and one security force member was killed in separate Taliban attacks in five provinces on the fifth day of the reduction in violence plan (RIV), the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) said on Wednesday, amid hopes that the RIV will lead to a nationwide ceasefire in the war-ravaged country.

According to the Afghan government, 19 security force members and four civilians have been killed in the Taliban attacks since the implementation of the reduction in violence (RIV) plan on February 21. 35 security force members were wounded in these attacks by the Taliban.