Interior Affairs Minister Massoud Andarabi on December 29 said that the Taliban is behind the “targeted killings,” reports Tolo News. Andrabi said this while speaking to the Afghan senate about the security situation in the country and particularly in Kabul. “The Taliban had major plans to overrun more areas in the provinces including Helmand, but they were prevented, causing the group to focus on targeted killings in Kabul,” Andarabi said. Minister Andrabi believes that attacks in the country have increased in Afghanistan since the US and Taliban signed the peace agreement in February this year in Doha. “The Taliban is seeking leverage in the peace efforts by putting pressure on the government with IED [Improvised Explosive Device] bombings in Kabul and by launching attacks in districts,” he further said.