The Taliban may be aiming to claim Afghanistan’s provincial capitals once U.S. military forces are withdrawn, said Deborah Lyons, U.N. special envoy for Afghanistan. Lyons stated that learning of President Joe Biden’s rapid plan to pull all troops by Sept. 11 this year caused “a seismic tremor through the Afghan political system and society at large.” When Biden announced the […]

Following repeated attacks by the Taliban in various parts of the country, particularly in the north, President Ghani’s senior adviser Waheed Omer said on Tuesday that the group, with its attacks and “subversive” activities in the last month, has proved that it has not changed at all. Addressing a gathering to introduce Brig. Gen. Ajmal Omar Shinwari as spokesman for […]

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Tuesday that a number of Taliban infiltrators were arrested in northern Kunduz province amid a sharp increase in Taliban attacks across the country. The MoD said in a statement that the infiltrators – under the guise of tribal elders – had spoken to the Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) to hand over a security […]

On June 14, 2021, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke at the inaugural Pakistan-Afghanistan Bilateral Dialogue in Islamabad. His tone was mildly aggressive. Talking about USA’s pullout from Afghanistan, Qureshi said: “If the objective of going to Washington is starting a new blame game and holding Pakistan responsible for all the ills and the lack of progress in the […]

The Taliban insurgents have seized control of another 17 districts in eight provinces in the past 24 hours. A member of Takhar provincial council told Ariana News that the Taliban overrun the Dasht-e-Qala, Darqad, Namak Aab, Chaal, Khwaja Ghar, Hazar Samuch, Yangi Qala, and Khwaja Baha-u-Din districts of the province. Meanwhile, the Afghan forces have also retreated from the Dara […]

Beijing has warned Chinese nationals in Afghanistan to leave the country as soon as possible amid a sharp rise in violence and for its organizations to take extra precautions during these uncertain times. China’s warning comes amid the foreign troop withdrawal process, which is more than halfway complete. China’s embassy in Afghanistan said on Saturday that Chinese citizens and organisations […]

Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar said he believes countries in the region have come to agree that peace in Afghanistan is in their best interests as the emergence of any new transnational terrorist networks will pose a serious threat to neighboring nations. In an interview with TRT this weekend, Atmar said “understanding has been achieved” in the region but that more […]

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone on Sunday today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar to discuss bilateral cooperation and maintaining continued diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Austin reaffirmed the importance of the longstanding U.S.-Turkey defense relationship and thanked the Minister for the continuing communication and cooperation […]

The setbacks come at a harrowing moment for Afghanistan, just as American and international troops are set to leave the country in coming weeks. The Taliban entered two provincial capitals in northern Afghanistan Sunday, local officials said, the culmination of an insurgent offensive that has overrun dozens of rural districts and forced the surrender and capture of hundreds of government […]

In reaction to remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday said that Islamabad has effective tools to “encourage Taliban leaders to start meaningful peace negotiations.” In an interview with TOLOnews aired on Saturday, Qureshi said Taliban leadership “lives in Afghanistan” and that the leaders of the group are visiting Pakistan […]