On October 8, a terrible blast struck the worshippers attending Friday noon prayers at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque in the Khan Abad district of Bandar, the capital of Kunduz, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities in its northern belt. This is a mosque frequented by Shia Muslims, who were referred to as “our compatriots” by Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid. Forty-six people […]

With the Taliban in power in Afghanistan, there’s a new enemy ascending. The Islamic State group threatens to usher in another violent phase. Except this time the former insurgents, the Taliban, play the role of the state, now that the U.S. troops and their allied Afghan government are gone. The Taliban promised the United States to keep the extremist group […]

The September 11 of 2001 was the beginning of wide developments which were aimed at countering terrorism and religious extremism by the US and its allies. The EU, as an important international player and in line with its normative policies and procedures, played a role in this country, while the Afghanistan conflict has become a complicated puzzle for many countries […]

On the banks of a mountain river outside Tajikistan’s capital, in a resort area teeming with hotels and dachas, stands a modern, two-story building flanked by towering trees and lattice fence panels. The state-owned sanatorium near Dushanbe is usually reserved for high-ranking Tajik officials who flock there on weekends or for short vacations.

At least 100 worshippers have been killed or injured after a suicide bomber targeted a Shia mosque, in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, according to news reports, during Friday prayers. The UN chief condemned the “horrific” attack “in the strongest terms”, noting that it represents the third assault on a religious institution, in less than a week.

The Biden administration’s aim in withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan was to reset its global strategic priorities. So far, however, it has undermined Washington’s efforts to contain Beijing, as it alleviated pressure on China’s western front and handed over to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) a very important fulcrum in the heart of Asia. In the past, the U.S. forces […]

After two decades, Taliban has not only recaptured Afghanistan but also global attention. The US, mulling over the futility of years – at least through three Presidencies – to get out of the ‘forever wars’, finally exited on 31 August from the losing war on terror. In extricating, the full circle from “Taliban to Taliban’ was completed, leaving the poor, […]

In recent weeks, observers worldwide have debated whether or not China will fill the multiple ‘vacuums’ that the withdrawal of U.S. troops has left in Afghanistan. Some expect Beijing to fill a “financial vacuum” by investing heavily in the country. Others focus on its role in filling the “political vacuum” by helping to legitimize the Taliban government on the international […]

The foreign ministers of Iran and Russia announced at a joint press conference that they have talked about the enhancement of Tehran-Moscow relations, preparations for a presidential meeting, and the regional developments as in Afghanistan and the Caucasus. Speaking at a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, held in Moscow on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said […]

Afghanistan and Tajikistan share a 1,400-kilometer border. Recently, a war of words has erupted between Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon and the Taliban government in Kabul. Rahmon censures the Taliban for the destabilization of Central Asia by the export of militant groups, while the Taliban leadership has accused Tajikistan’s government of interference. Earlier this summer, Rahmon mobilized 20,000 troops to the […]