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 […]

Since the US forces left their biggest base in Afghanistan–Bagram Airfield–Afghan forces are looking into ways to effectively use the facility. The evacuation of the US forces from Bagram Airfield has been accompanied with many questions as well as concerns. TOLOnews reporter Khalid Nikzad was one of the first Afghan reporters who visited the base after the full evacuation. Sources […]

Admitting some shortcomings in protecting remote districts from falling to militants, the Afghan Army Chief Gen. Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, who was newly appointed to his post, pledged that the top priority is to safeguard major cities, border towns and highways. He said that the closure of border towns, supply routes and attacks on major cities and districts are among the […]

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Washington to act with sincerity and work toward solutions on a variety of hot-spot issues including Afghanistan. Addressing the ninth World Peace Forum in Beijing on Saturday, Wang said since the US military began withdrawing from Afghanistan, violence has spiked and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance has increased substantially. China […]

While capturing Kabul is “not Taliban policy”, any foreign troops left in Afghanistan after NATO’s September withdrawal deadline will be at risk as occupiers, the Taliban told the BBC. This comes amid reports that as many as 1,000 US troops could stay on in Afghanistan to protect the American Embassy and Kabul’s international airport. Speaking to the BBC, Taliban spokesman […]

Government forces plan a counteroffensive in Afghanistan’s northern provinces after losing ground to the Taliban, Russia’s RIA news agency quoted adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as saying on Monday. National security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, who was in Moscow on Monday for talks with senior security officials, told RIA in an interview that government forces had not expected the Taliban […]

Tajikistan will deploy thousands of troops along its border with Afghanistan amid fierce fighting between the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and the Taliban. During a National Security Council meeting on Monday, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon ordered the Tajik military to deploy 20,000 soldiers along the Afghan-Tajik border, the Tajikistan president’s office stated. Rahmon also raised concerns over the […]

National Directorate of Security (NDS) forces have arrested members of a gang who were allegedly responsible for the destruction of power pylons in Parwan province, the NDS said on Monday. The NDS stated that the head of the gang, along with three collaborators, was arrested in an operation in northern Parwan province. The suspects are also members of ISIS, locally […]