US President Joe Biden said in a letter to Congress on Tuesday that Washington will continue to fully support peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban and will encourage other nations in the region, especially Pakistan, to do more to support stability in Afghanistan. In his letter he stated that over the past few decades, the United States and […]

Pakistan has refused to host U.S drone bases on its soil as Washington seeks to continue its counterterrorism operation in Afghanistan after a military pullout, local media reported, citing Pakistani government officials. A report carried by Dawn on Wednesday also said Pakistani officials have privately begun confirming a secret visit to Islamabad made by U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William […]

The U.S. military estimates that it has pulled out more than 50 percent of its equipment and troops from Afghanistan. “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) estimates that we have completed greater than 50% of the entire retrograde process,” the command, which oversees operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, said in a press release on Tuesday. CENTCOM also said the […]

The New York Times on Sunday published a report outlining the CIA’s struggle to put together a new counterterrorism strategy as US troops withdraw from Afghanistan. “The CIA is seeking ways to maintain its intelligence-gathering, war-fighting and counterterrorism operations in the country,” The New York Times reported, citing CIA analysts warning of the “ever-growing risks” of a Taliban takeover. The […]

The center of Shahrak district in the central province of Ghor fell to the Taliban on Sunday evening, local officials confirmed on Monday. Ghor governor Abdul Zahir Faiz Zada said security forces have evacuated all government offices in the center of the district to prevent civilian casualties in the clashes between security forces and the Taliban. “Soon an operation will […]

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, currently on a regional tour amid the withdrawal of American and coalition forces from Afghanistan, says two options remain for Afghanistan at this critical juncture: A political solution to the conflict or continued war. He reiterated that the United States will not abandon Afghanistan despite US troops leaving. In his first interview with TOLOnews after […]

The UN special envoy on Afghanistan Jean Arnault met with Iranian foreign minister’s advisor Mohammad-Ebrahim Taherian on Monday in Tehran to discuss the Afghanistan situation. According to Iran’s IFP news, the two sides discussed Afghan peace talks and the security situation in the country. Taherian said Iran considers Afghanistan’s peace and security as its own, and supports the peace process […]

Italy’s Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini arrived in Herat Tuesday to oversee the lowering and removal of the Italian flag at Camp Arena, marking the end to Italy’s almost 20-year mission in Afghanistan. According to Italy’s Ansa News Rome’s decision is in line with the US and NATO troop withdrawal process. However, Ansa reported that US troops will have completely withdrawn […]

Turkey has offered to guard and run Kabul’s airport after the United States and other NATO forces withdraw from Afghanistan, but U.S. officials say Ankara is imposing conditions which need to be resolved as their leaders prepare to meet next week, Reuters reported. Turkish officials say Ankara made the proposal at a NATO meeting in May when the United States […]

Afghan National Security Council’s (NSC) spokesman Ramatullah Andar said that since the start of the foreign troops’ withdrawal process, on May 1, the Taliban has conducted 1,455 attacks across the country. Andar said however that the Afghan security and defense forces have inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy in repelling these attacks “Also 63 armed and explosive attacks were prevented,” […]