The Taliban is not ready to attend the Turkey conference on the expected date, April 16, given their consultations on the details of the event, spokesman Mohammad Naeem said. He said the Taliban is reviewing the details of the Turkey conference agenda shared with them by the United States. Naeem said that the leadership of the group has not made […]

Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), on Monday met with President Ashraf Ghani and discussed the upcoming Istanbul Summit, UNAMA said. During the meeting the UN envoy highlighted the pressing need for an end to violence with a political settlement that answers aspirations of all Afghans, including women. According […]

The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has wrapped up a productive four-day visit to Kabul where he met with government and political leaders, civil society activists, and the diplomatic community to discuss preparations for the upcoming Istanbul conference. In a statement issued by the US Embassy in Kabul, the mission said in each engagement, Khalilzad underscored the […]

Local officials in Herat province said the Taliban have carried out a car bomb attack on an Afghan National Army (ANA) checkpoint in the Shorwardak area of Shindand district on Monday morning. Herat Governor Wahid Qatali confirmed the reports and said that clashes are taking place in the district and reinforcements had been sent to the area. He did not […]

The Taliban’s spokesman Mohammad Naeem said on Monday the group is not ready to participate at the Istanbul Conference scheduled to start on April 16. Naeem told Ariana News that if a later date is set, the group will hold discussions on whether to attend and will then “share the details of our decisions.” Meanwhile, the Afghan government and the […]

One person was killed and another was wounded in an armed attack on a vehicle carrying security guards of the deputy head of the Senate’s secretariat in Kabul on Saturday evening, police said. According to police the incident happened in PD5 Qala-e-Kashif area in Kabul. Gunmen opened fire on the vehicle, killing the driver and wounding a security guard. The […]

A senior Afghan military official said this week that if the US pulls out without a political settlement having been reached between government and the Taliban, the country will be in “deep trouble”. Speaking to the New York Times this week, the security official said: “If the US pulls out, and there is no political agreement, then we are in […]

At least 36 Taliban insurgents were killed and 15 more wounded in an operation by the Afghan forces in Kunduz province, security officials said Sunday. According to officials, the Afghan Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF) have launched an operation to crack down on the Taliban presence in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz. The officials said that so far three […]

The US, UN, Turkey, and Qatar have handed over guiding principles for the Istanbul Summit to the Afghan government and the Taliban. A document seen by Ariana News shows that there are nine guiding principles that could help the negotiating parties reach an agreement on some key points ahead of the Istanbul conference which is due to be held from […]

The High Council for the National Reconciliation (HCNR) has drafted a unified peace plan for the upcoming Istanbul Summit. A copy of the draft seen by Ariana News shows that the plan has four parts including a principle for the future of Afghanistan, a Peace roadmap/President Ashraf Ghani’s plan, a future political system, and an end to the ongoing conflict […]