Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Monday that a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a military compound, followed by several armed insurgents storming it, resulting in the death of at least three soldiers and injuries to 12 others. The pre-dawn raid occurred in the garrison city of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Local police officials and […]

The third edition of the United Nations (UN)-led international conference in Doha on Afghanistan, held on June 30th and July 1st, ended without any significant development. The Taliban’s participation, with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) represented by a five-member delegation, along with the Special Envoys from 25 countries and some international organisations and the absence of women and other […]

In a stark reminder of the persistent security challenges in the region, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, recently conveyed to the UN Security Council that the Taliban government in Afghanistan has yet to fulfill its promises to curb cross-border terrorist activities by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Despite numerous high-level communications, the Taliban’s inaction has resulted in continued […]

Taliban security forces in Afghanistan claimed Sunday that they had killed a key Islamic State commander in an eastern province bordering Pakistan. An official Taliban media outlet reported that counter-terrorism forces in Nangarhar had raided a hideout of Islamic State Khorasan, also known as IS-K, an Afghan-based affiliate of the transnational extremist group. The Al-Mersaad outlet said that Sunday’s action […]

Tensions between neighbors Pakistan and Afghanistan are running high as the Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said this week that his country plans to continue launching cross-border attacks as part of a new military operation to curb terrorism. The comments mark a notable shift for Pakistani officials who, until now, had only admitted to one such cross-border strike in March. […]

Taliban security forces in Afghanistan claimed Sunday that they had killed a key Islamic State commander in an eastern province bordering Pakistan. An official Taliban media outlet reported that counter-terrorism forces in Nangarhar had raided a hideout of Islamic State Khorasan, also known as IS-K, an Afghan-based affiliate of the transnational extremist group. The Al-Mersaad outlet said that Sunday’s action […]

Why is Afghanistan always in trouble? The sufferings of Afghanistan in the distant past and current difficulties are in large measure the product of its geographical location combined with its mines and minimal wealth, water resources, and mostly due to their constant internal conflicts. These factors have resulted in a troubled history since the beginning and produced a venerable state […]

Pakistan will continue to launch attacks against Afghanistan as part of a new military operation aimed at countering terrorism, the country’s defence minister has told the BBC. Khawaja Asif said the aerial strikes were targeting groups which Pakistan accuses of targeting security forces and civilians. Previously, senior officials in Pakistan had only admitted to one such strike on the neighbouring […]

Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, most of the international focus has been on the worsening humanitarian situation in the country. Millions of Afghans live in poverty and the economic situation remains bleak. This month, Afghanistan also reached a grim milestone: It has been more than 1,000 days since young girls were able to attend school. But there […]

There is enormous appreciation among Iranian intellectuals, diplomats and politicians regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stellar support for their country’s membership of the BRICS grouping. Modi played a key role to navigate Iran’s membership purposively at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg last August. The Russian President Vladimir Putin couldn’t be present at Johannesburg. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the […]