A group of 130 armed Taliban led by Maulvi Mardan joined the peace process in Herat on Thursday, officials confirmed. Herat Governor Abdul Sabor Qani said the group had been active in areas of Herat’s Shindand district, and that many villages in the area were under the group’s control. Local officials in Herat said the group entered the government’s peace […]

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and a high-ranking delegation landed in Washington DC on a direct flight from Kabul on Thursday for a two-day official visit, the Presidential Palace said. “During the visit, the President is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden, members of Congress and the Senate and a number of other US officials to discuss the new […]

The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley told the US Senate that the Taliban had taken control of numerous districts since May, but that the group would not be able to capture major cities. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has meanwhile said that Afghanistan is still in the world’s spotlight and that the United States […]

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Tuesday at a virtual conference that US President Joe Biden’s decision, endorsed by NATO, to withdraw all foreign troops from the country has been a “game-changing and game-shaping decision”. Addressing delegates at the Looking towards Peace in Afghanistan after the US-NATO Withdrawal Conference, organized by the Arab Center Washington, Ghani said: “By ending the guessing […]

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Wednesday that peace and stability in Afghanistan will not be possible without Iran and Pakistan’s support. Addressing the 9th Moscow Conference on International Security, Shoigu said the situation in Afghanistan “requires particular attention – both by neighboring countries and international organizations”. He said that in 20 years US and NATO troops had not managed […]

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that since President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw troops, the Department of Defense has retrograded the equivalent of approximately 763 C-17 cargo flight loads of material out of Afghanistan and have turned nearly 14,790 pieces of equipment over to the Defense Logistics Agency for disposal. The 14,790 pieces of equipment comprise almost entirely federal excess […]

Hundreds of former Afghan Mujahideen and other residents of northern Kabul held a rally on Wednesday, supporting Afghan security forces in their fight against the Taliban. Taliban insurgents have conducted a wave of offensives in Afghanistan‘s north in recent days, moving beyond their southern strongholds as international forces withdraw. Fierce fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces has taken […]

Turkey will not send additional troops to Afghanistan as part of a plan to run and secure Kabul’s airport following the U.S. and NATO pull-out from the country, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar cited as saying on Wednesday. Turkey has offered to guard and run Hamid Karzai airport after NATO’s withdrawal and has been holding talks with allies, namely the […]