The Ministry of Defense on Sunday said 11 Al Qaeda affiliates were killed in an airstrike by Afghan forces in Nawa district of southern Helmand province.

Seven Pakistan soldiers were killed in a gun attack on a Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan post in Harnai district of Balochistan, Pakistan military’s media wing said on Sunday. The assailants targeted an FC post located in Shahrag area of Harnai late on Saturday.

A senior Islamic State leader is among 19 suspects detained in eastern Nangarhar province, local officials claimed on Monday. Tasal Aziz, in charge of recruiting Daesh militants, was captured by intelligence agents in the second police district of Jalalabad — the provincial capital.

In an attempt to enhance its market share in the landlocked neighbour, Pakistan plans to keep open trade routes with Afghanistan under all circumstances. Seeking to increase its market share in Afghanistan by 65 percent, the plan is reportedly supported by the Pakistan army, The News International reported on Monday.

Afghanistan has imported non-oil items worth $1.2 billion from neighbouring Iran over the past eight months, a media report said on Monday.

At least six people were injured in a blast caused by a magnetic bomb in Kabul on Monday. The blast took place at around 03:45 this afternoon in Gozargah Bridge area in the limits of 17 security district of Kabul.

It’s been nearly two decades since the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan, but full withdrawal remains the subject of heated debate, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Afghanistan, William Ruger said. “It is time to leave the country.”

The clashes took place in Gardez city as gunmen opened fire on public uprising forces, officials said. At least two public uprising forces members were killed and four others were wounded in Paktia province on Saturday night, local officials confirmed on Sunday.

Dostum has said that more focus is needed to ensure a real partnership of the nation. Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum has criticized the lack of implementation of the political agreement that was signed between President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah in May and stressed that the deal needs to be acted upon to ensure lasting peace in the country.

A member of the Taliban’s leadership council said the group will not allow any foreign fighters to use Afghanistan’s soil. First Vice President Amrullah on Sunday said that the Taliban still maintains ties with al Qaeda and that their separation “is harder than desalination.”