Category: Afghanistan

Violence in Afghanistan Worsens as U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks Plod On

Violence has intensified in recent months across Afghanistan as the opposing sides in the war try to turn battlefield blows into gains in negotiations over the country’s political future.

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Taliban leader quashes Eid cease fire, urges followers to continue jihad

In his yearly Eid-al-Adha message to his followers, Taliban emir Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada dashed all hopes for a holiday ceasefire and urged his jihadists to continue the fight.

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Jihadists wound former Afghan intelligence chief in Kabul assault

Amrullah Saleh, the former head of the National Directorate of Security and a candidate for vice president, was wounded in an attack by jihadists in his office in Kabul today. Saleh was responsible for killing and capturing thousands of Taliban commanders and fighters during his tenure as NDS chief and during his brief stint as interior minister. There has not […]

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UN: Islamic State replaced leader in Afghanistan after visit from central leadership

The Islamic State’s central leadership replaced their top man in Afghanistan after a meeting earlier this year, according to a recent report submitted to the United Nations Security Council. The report was authored by the monitoring team responsible for tracking al Qaeda, the Islamic State and affiliated groups.

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Dozens of civilians killed as Afghan bus hits roadside bomb

The victims were mostly women and children, officials say amid calls to end ‘senseless loss of life’ in Afghanistan.

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Taliban IED blast kills 35 civilians in western Afghanistan

A roadside bomb planted by the Taliban in the western Afghan province of Farah killed 35 civilians and wounded 27 today. But the Taliban continues to deny responsibility for attacks that clearly target civilians.

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‘Answer the call of Afghans’ to reduce impact of conflict, UN urges all parties amid increase in civilian airstrike deaths

The conflict in Afghanistan continues to be devastating for civilians, with the latest United Nations update released on Tuesday showing that the number of civilians killed by aerial operations increased in the first half of 2019, even as overall civilian casualties declined.

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U.S. to press Pakistan PM on Afghan peace, terrorism crackdown

U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to press Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for help on ending the war in Afghanistan and fighting militants when the two leaders meet at the White House on Monday amid their countries’ strained relations.

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Taliban seizes remote district in Afghan north

The Taliban overran a remote district in the northern province of Badakhshan today after seizing a lapis lazuli mine there last week. Security in Badakhshan has gradually worsened over the past five years since the Afghan military and police took full control of security in the province. Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups have a significant presence in the […]

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Trump caves to Pakistan on Afghanistan

During a meeting today with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Donald Trump said that the US is working closely with Pakistan “to extricate ourselves” from Afghanistan. Trump’s acquiescence to Pakistan, which has backed the Taliban’s deadly insurgency in Afghanistan, occurs less than two years after he accused Pakistan of providing “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror” […]

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