The poster on left represents Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Omar Khalid Khorasani and Hizb-ul-Ahrar emir Omar Khorasani swearing allegiance to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Emir, Abu Mansoor Asim. It is unclear if the bayah are going to impact Tehreek-e-Taliban Islami Pakistan (TTP) operations. TTPJA has been cooperating with TTP since 2018, the announcement seems more of a formalization; HuA has traditionally operated under TTP […]
Read more ›Category: Afghanistan
Afghans halt prisoner release, delaying talks with Taliban
The Afghan government said Monday it would not release the last 320 Taliban prisoners it is holding until the insurgents free more captured soldiers, defying a traditional council held last week and further delaying intra-Afghan talks sought by the United States.
Read more ›Taliban refuses to negotiate with ‘Kabul administration’ it does not recognize as legitimate
Even after the Afghan government released nearly 5,000 Taliban prisoners to grease the skids ahead of negotiations with the jihadist group, the Taliban explicitly stated that it will not conduct talks directly with the Afghan government because it “does not recognize the Kabul administration as a government.”
Read more ›Pakistani Taliban splinter factions officially rejoin group
The Pakistani Taliban announced today that two splinter factions, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Hizb-ul-Ahrar (HuA), have rejoined the organization. The group trumpeted the reunification in a statement released on its official media sites.
Read more ›Afghanistan: Intimidatory Negotiations
In its attempt to cross the last hurdle to the Intra-Afghan Negotiation (IAN), the Afghanistan Government on August 13, 2020, started the process of releasing the last batch of 400 ‘high value’ Taliban prisoners. The Office of the National Security Council tweeted on August 14, 2020,
Read more ›The couple blamed for an Islamic State attack on their wedding
It should’ve been the happiest day of their lives. Instead, it was the worst. Mirwais and Rehana’s wedding in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul last year was targeted by an IS suicide bomber, killing more than 90 of their guests. The couple lost close family members and friends, and the attack took a heavy toll on their mental health.
Read more ›Taking Stock of the Taliban’s Perspectives on Peace
For Afghanistan’s peace talks to work, the Taliban will need to shift focus to what they want, not what they oppose. They should develop clear negotiating positions on key issues and work to convince their members that peace requires compromise.
Read more ›Taliban parades fighters as 400 more prisoners are freed
Taliban parades fighters as 400 more prisoners are freed The Taliban released a series of photographs that show its fighters parading in the eastern Afghan provinces of Logar, Laghman and Ghazni. The Taliban fighters were operating in broad daylight, without fear of reprisal from Afghan or Coalition forces.
Read more ›Taliban ‘Hopeful’ US-Brokered Afghan Talks Settle Conflict
The Taliban reaffirmed Tuesday its commitment to ending violence in Afghanistan, while emphasizing that a comprehensive cease-fire has to be discussed during intra-Afghan peace negotiations due to begin later this month.
Read more ›The Taliban Say They Have No Foreign Fighters. Is That True?
The Taliban denial of the presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan raises questions about the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban deal.
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