Taliban Leader: No Peace Talks with Kabul

Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar on Monday denied reports that his group is negotiating a peace agreement with the Afghan government.

In a message on the eve of the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, Omar called the reports “baseless propaganda” designed to cover up what he called the failure of U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Omar said the Taliban wants to increase operations across Afghanistan and draw the U.S.-led coalition into a war of attrition. He also denounced President Hamid Karzai’s government as a corrupt “puppet” of the West.

Mr. Karzai has promised to pursue reconciliation with Taliban-led insurgents through a government-backed peace council. But it is unclear whether any talks have taken place.

Militants raided a telecommunications tower in the northern province of Kunduz Monday, triggering a battle with Afghan security forces that killed seven insurgents and nine policemen.

In another attack, Taliban militants fired a rocket at a NATO base in the northeastern province of Kunar that destroyed six armored vehicles.

On Sunday, seven NATO troops were killed in eastern and southern Afghanistan, making it the deadliest day for coalition troops in the country since October 14.

NATO forces say they have stopped the Taliban’s momentum in its southern stronghold, but insurgents have staged a series of deadly attacks on foreign and Afghan targets in recent days.

Some information in this story was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.