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Is the Taliban gaining ground in Afghanistan?

About 30 Afghans have been killed by the Taliban after it stopped a bus travelling from Kandahar to Helmand province. A defence ministry spokesman said that 31 civilians were killed in the attack in a Taliban-controlled area but a Taliban spokesman said that 27 Afghan army personnel had been killed. The defence ministry has denied the Taliban claim that the dead were soldiers. Can the Taliban be defeated? Should the Afghan government engage in negotiations with the group?

Published: 28 Oct 2008 07:09 GMT
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