Resumption of violence in Afghanistan 'unacceptable,' must be reduced: Pompeo

• "The upsurge in violence in parts of Afghanistan over the last couple days is unacceptable," Mike Pompeo said.

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday demanded an immediate reduction in violence in Afghanistan for the peace process to go forward after what he said was an "unacceptable" spike in Taliban attacks.

"The upsurge in violence in parts of Afghanistan over the last couple days is unacceptable," he said at a news conference.

"Violence must be reduced immediately for the peace process to move forward."

US and Taliban negotiators signed an agreement on Saturday laying out a path toward peace that could lead to the withdrawal of US and foreign forces within 14 months.

The signing in Doha was preceded by a week-long reduction in violence across the country.

But on Wednesday, the Afghan interior ministry said the Taliban had carried out 30 attacks over a 24-hour period that resulted in the deaths of four civilians and 11 Afghan soldiers.

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, downplayed the severity of the attacks in congressional testimony Wednesday.

"What is important, though, for the agreement: we're on day four, this was small, low-level attacks, out on checkpoints, etcetera," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.