Gunmen Kill 2 Afghan Women Judges      01/17 09:23

   

   KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Gunmen fired on a car in northern Kabul on 
Sunday, killing two women judges who worked for Afghanistan's high court and 
wounding the driver, a court official said. It was the latest attack in the 
Afghan capital during peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government 
officials in Qatar.

   Supreme Court of Afghanistan spokesman Ahmad Fahim Qawim, said the women 
were judges who worked for the high court but he did not identify them by name.

   No one claimed responsibility for the attack and Taliban spokesman 
Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group wasn't responsible.

   The Afghan government has repeatedly blamed the Taliban for targeted 
killings in recent months and the insurgent group accuses the government of 
staging the killings to spoil the peace process.

   The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks in 
the capital in recent months, including on educational institutions that killed 
50 people, most of them students. IS has also claimed responsibility for rocket 
attacks in December targeting the major U.S. base in Afghanistan. There were no 
casualties.

   The Taliban and the Afghan government earlier this month resumed peace talks 
in Qatar. Negotiations were off to a slow start as the insurgent group 
continues attacks on Afghan government forces while keeping their promise not 
to attack U.S. and NATO troops.