As the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the deadline for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan draws near, the region has been witnessing sudden adjustments. The Taliban have not only intensified assaults against the Afghan government forces and captured new territories but also began to demonstrate their regional ambitions to reduce Washington’s influence in Central and South […]

NPR’s Audie Cornish speaks with John F. Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. He’s calling for continued oversight of U.S. funding there as American presence declines. AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The U.S. will pull all troops out of Afghanistan in the coming weeks but will continue its financial presence in the country with about $7.5 billion already set aside so […]

The United Nations is preparing for a likely further displacement of civilians in Afghanistan after US and international troops leave the country in September, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said on Monday as quoted by Reuters. Violence has remained high in the country over the last two months, leading to the displacement of thousands of families in northern and southern […]

US President Joe Biden at a press conference after the NATO leaders’ summit in Brussels on Monday “there was a strong consensus in the room, among the leaders, in that meeting, on Afghanistan,” reiterating that the alliance will continue its support to Afghans after the withdrawal of international troops from the country. “Our troops are coming home, but we agreed […]

NATO security officials are in talks with Qatar about providing a military base to help train Afghan army units after foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan later this year, Reuters reports. “We are holding talks to earmark a base in Qatar to create an exclusive training ground for senior members of the Afghan forces,” said a senior Western security official in […]

The Afghan government is in talks over the security of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the Office of the National Security Council (NSC) said on Wednesday. Afghanistan will decide about the issue in light of its national interests, the NSC said. Meanwhile, the Presidential Palace has also pledged that all airports in Afghanistan will remain operational once the foreign […]

Afghan security forces retook the center of Dawlat Abad district in northern Faryab province on Wednesday morning, the Army’s 209 Shaheen Corps said in a statement. Security forces launched a clearing operation on Tuesday night with air support in the center of the district and cleared it of Taliban, the statement said. The statement did not provide further details about […]

Amnesty International in a statement on Wednesday called on the Afghan authorities to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of a “brutal” series of attacks amounting to war crimes that have killed at least 24 civilians in little over a week. Samira Hamidi, Amnesty International’s South Asia Campaigner stated: “The targeting of civilians with near-total impunity continues unabated. While […]

The Taliban are reportedly opposed to a Turkish initiative for a contingent of Ankara’s troops to remain in the country to guard Kabul airport after US and international forces complete their withdrawal from the country in September. Contacted by Reuters via text, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen bundled Muslim-majority Turkey together with other NATO members, affirming the groups’s stance that it […]

Taliban militants captured the Arghanjkha district of Badakhshan province on Wednesday evening, sources said. The government, however, stated that the Afghan Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF) retreated from the district following two days of heavy clashes with the militants. At least 11 soldiers and one member of the public uprising forces have been killed in the skirmish. Khalil-ul-Rahman, Badakhshan Police […]