US Forces commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller officially handed over command of US and NATO troops in the country to the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Marine General Frank McKenzie, at a ceremony in Kabul on Monday. Addressing the ceremony, Miller stated that the US will continue to support the government and the Afghan Security and Defense Forces […]

Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met on Monday with US Special Representative for Peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad to discuss the Afghan peace process and regional stability. According to Qatar’s The Peninsula, relations of bilateral cooperation between Qatar and the US were reviewed during the meeting, as well as the latest […]

Ned Price, US State Department spokesman, on Wednesday, urged Afghanistan’s neighbors to play a constructive role in Afghan peace talks “in order for there to be a just and durable peace” in the country. “What Iran is trying to do or is in the process of doing by hosting this meeting may well be constructive. I think the jury is […]

Clashes between security forces and the Taliban began on Wednesday after the group attacked several parts of the city. Afghan security forces on Thursday again pushed back a Taliban attack on Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis province in western Afghanistan. Clashes between security forces and the Taliban began on Wednesday after the group attacked several parts of the city. Thursday […]

Local officials in Kabul province’s Sarobi district, east of Kabul city, on Thursday said that 70 villages out of 130 are under Taliban control. Kabul governor Mohammad Yaqoub said that militants associated with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and other groups are playing a role in the fight in Sarobi. Residents in Sarobi said that the Taliban has threatened to launch an attack […]

Local security sources in Ghazni province said that the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) were engaged in a heavy firefight with Taliban insurgents after the group launched an attack last night on the Shahrak-e-Muhajirin area of the provincial capital Ghazni city. According to the sources, the Taliban managed to infiltrate the area and raise their flag. However, the […]

Balkh governor Mohammad Farhad Azimi said on Thursday that of the 5,000 fighters that were pledged by political leaders and other influential figures in Balkh as part of the public uprising forces, 1,500 have already been deployed in fighting positions to face the Taliban alongside security forces. Azimi said that the political leaders have not managed to mobilize the entire […]

Tajikistan has appealed to member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for help in dealing with security challenges emerging from neighboring Afghanistan, Tajik media reported Thursday. In an appeal on Wednesday, Dushanbe reportedly said it could not manage the instability at its border without external assistance. “Given the current situation in the region, as well as the remoteness […]

Following a two-day meeting between an Afghan delegation and a Taliban delegation, in Tehran, consensus was reached on a number of points. According to a statement Thursday made by the two sides the following was agreed to: The delegations commend the efforts and goodwill of the Islamic Republic of Iran in securing peace in Afghanistan and the hospitality provided. Both […]

Badghis provincial capital, Qala-e-Naw, was the scene of heavy clashes Thursday between the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) and the Taliban, local sources told Ariana News. Provincial officials meanwhile said that security forces were able to push back the Taliban and keep them from entering the city. This comes after Taliban on Wednesday launched their offensive on Qala-e-Naw […]