Taliban clashes with Afghan forces

Despite peace talks, 57 Afghan soldiers died in skirmishes with the Taliban on Sunday night across several provinces. The Islamic insurgent group did not say whether it suffered any fatalities, but an Afghan military spokesman said 54 of the militants died, Reuters reported. Taliban attacks have killed nearly 100 civilians in the past two weeks, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.

How are the peace talks going? The two sides have met in Doha, Qatar, since Sept. 12, following a U.S. agreement with the militants in February. But they have not reached a permanent cease-fire.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report on the peace talks in World Tour.