KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Afghan security forces fought back against an onslaught of about 800 Taliban militants in a southern province Wednesday as clashes that have killed dozens of people, including at least 35 civilians, stretched into a fourth day.
The Taliban attacks have targeted checkpoints and government buildings in Helmand province -- which was touted as a showcase of a major U.S. military offensive to drive out the militants in 2009.
Afghanistan's security situation has been complicated by a political crisis stemming from allegations of fraud in the June 14 runoff election to replace President Hamid Karzai, the only leader the country has known since the Taliban regime was ousted nearly 13 years ago.
One of the two candidates, Abdullah Abdullah, suspended his relations with the Independent Election Commission after he accused electoral officials of engineering extensive vote rigging, allegations they have denied.
His rival, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, called on Abdullah to rejoin the process and demanded that the commission stick to the official timetable for releasing preliminary results next week.
"We believe that the only way forward is full adherence to the constitution, to the election law and to the regulations. We therefore are dismayed that our esteemed colleague Dr. Abdullah has withdrawn from the process. Our request to him is simple -- join back to the process. Respect the will of the people," Ahmadzai, a former finance minister and World Bank official, said at a rally.
Afghan soldiers and police were applauded last year for largely holding their own against the Taliban, but the militants have stepped up their campaign of violence in a bid to undermine the Western-backed government. The relentless insurgency has raised concern that the departure of most foreign forces will lead to new instability in the country.
The President Barack Obama's administration has said it will leave some 10,000 American troops in the country if a much-delayed bilateral security pact is signed. That would also pave the way for thousands of troops from other NATO countries to remain.
NATO foreign ministers discussed Afghanistan's future after the alliance's combat mission ends in December in a meeting Wednesday in Brussels.
The alliance's secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the goal was to launch a new mission called "Resolute Support" to train, advise and assist the Afghans at the start of next year.
"But it is the Afghans who must take the next step," he said. "The necessary security agreements must be signed soon. Otherwise, we will not be able to keep any troops in Afghanistan from next year."
Karzai, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, brokered the deal but then refused to sign it, saying he would leave the decision to his successor.
Both candidates have promised to sign the agreement soon after taking office. Final results are due July 22, and Karzai has set Aug. 2 as the date of the inauguration of the new president.
Ahmadzai has denied any involvement in fraud, saying his campaign team had itself registered 1,800 complaints of irregularities that needed to be investigated. He refused to offer specific forecasts but said his team's analysis shows that votes for him had increased in each of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
The ongoing clashes in Helmand come as the Taliban have launched their so-called summer offensive.
Information for this article was contributed by Kim Gamel and John-Thor Dahlburg of The Associated Press.
A Section on 06/26/2014