(Afghanistan Times): Officials in the southern province of Kandahar say that the security forces cleared the Arghandab district of Taliban presence. District Governor, Mohammad Sharif Rasuli, said on Saturday that the area was “now fully controlled” by security forces. According to him, the Taliban planted landmines in some parts of the district to prevent government forces from advancing. The Taliban are yet to comment. Kandahar is among insecure provinces in the south, where the Taliban have active presence. The province has recently seen an intensive high level of violence as the government and Taliban are escalating offensives against each other. Armed clashes are reported in different parts of the country while a conference is planned to be held in Turkey to discuss ways to end the war and convince the Afghan parties of war to agree on a political settlement and a power-sharing government. Taliban have stepped up military moves by attacking Afghan army and police in almost every province with the aim of pressure Kabul and international community to meet their demands in the peace sessions. Targeted killings and magnetic bomb attacks that claim the lives of many people are also blamed on the insurgent group that rejects.