Russia’s Consulate in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif has temporarily closed due to security concerns in Balkh province, Russian Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Monday. Speaking to Russia’s TASS news agency, Kabulov said: “The situation is unstable, the Afghan troops have surrendered too many districts. Naturally, that triggers anxiety. So, many consulates [of other countries in Mazar-e-Sharif] […]

The U.S. left Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base’s new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans’ departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said, the Associated Press reported. The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in […]

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said he would discuss with his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin on Wednesday a plan for Turkey to operate and guard Kabul’s Hamid Karzai airport after the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, adding there was no final decision yet. Ankara has offered to run and guard the airport after NATO’s withdrawal, and has been in talks with […]

President Ashraf Ghani has accused the Taliban and Pakistan of perpetuating the “bloodshed and destruction” in Afghanistan. Addressing a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Ghani stated that the Taliban have chosen to fight instead of making peace and that “we will stand up against them.” “The people of Afghanistan should be alert, upon the announcement of the US’ withdrawal I called […]

The New York Times on Sunday wrote that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a meeting with the current commander of US and NATO forces Gen. Austin Miller, Joint Chiefs Chaiman Gen. Mark A. Milley and Centcom head Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. discussed Afghanistan and specifically ways to buffer the impact of the US pullout on the Afghan […]

Former President Hamid Karzai says China can play an important role in helping Afghanistan secure its future, especially in improving its ties with Pakistan. “China plays a very important role, a significant role in improving the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and in making sure that a synchronized relationship is established between the two countries,” Karzai said in an interview […]

Though there has been no formal announcement about Jaishankar’s visit, he is expected to be in Moscow later this week. The rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and several upcoming high-level meetings, including the annual India-Russia Summit, are expected to top the agenda when external affairs minister S Jaishankar visits Moscow this week. Russia sees India as an important player for […]

Two Central Asian nations neighboring Afghanistan on Monday raised the alarm with Russia at the rapid Taliban advance in Afghanistan in the north of the country as the pull-out of U.S. troops looms. President Vladimir Putin held separate phone talks with his counterparts from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan about the escalation in Afghanistan, the Kremlin said. The Russian leader pledged help […]

Sources said that 11 districts have fallen to the Taliban in the last 24 hours – seven districts in Badakhshan, two districts in Kandahar, one in Parwan and one in Helmand. The districts are Maimai, Nusai, Shuki, Khwahan, Ishakashim, Shuhada and Yawan in Badakhshan, Nish and Mianshin in Kandahar, Nawa in Helmand and Shinwari in Parwan. Badakhshan residents in northeastern […]

The British government is poised to keep a small special forces contingent on the ground in Afghanistan, The Telegraph has reported. This comes as the US and its NATO allies pulled out of the coalition’s main base in Bagram district of Parwan province on Friday. The UK is now reportedly considering the retention of an “advisory group” of elite special […]