Fierce battles were reported between Afghan forces and the Taliban near Mazar-e-Sharif city in northern Balkh province. Balkh governor Farhad Azimi said that the Taliban on Saturday morning launched attacks on the city from various directions, but the security forces “bravely resisted” the group. He said that initially the Taliban made some advances but the security forces repelled their attacks […]

The centers of Logar, Paktika, Kunar and Paktia provinces and 10 districts fell to the Taliban in the last 24 hours, according to sources as the group’s advances continue. Sources said the Taliban has released all prisoners in these provinces while local officials have relocated to the army bases in the four provincial capitals. Reports say that there had been […]

Concerned about the implications of a Taliban victory for regional security, Moscow is searching for a diplomatic solution to Afghanistan’s conflict. As the security situation inside Afghanistan deteriorates by the day, Moscow fears that a Taliban victory could see Afghanistan exporting terrorism, strife, drugs and insecurity to Russia’s historical Central Asian backyard. Moscow’s new strategic worries contrast with its earlier […]

The TTP has experienced a reversal of fortunes, in part thanks to the changing circumstances within Afghanistan. Since its inception in 2007, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been the largest and most active armed opposition group in Pakistan. It was formed by several small groups operating in the tribal areas of Pakistan and to a lesser extent in the North-West […]

The UK government should maintain aid spending in Afghanistan, especially after the troop withdrawal. The decision by the UK government to cut foreign aid will have devastating consequences, particularly in Afghanistan where the security situation is deteriorating. The cuts signal that the UK government has not learned from history, where a lack of commitment to Afghanistan and its neighbours has […]

Cumhurbaşkanı Tayyip Erdoğan, Taliban’ın liderini kabul edebileceğini televizyondan duyurdu. Ancak devlet başkanı düzeyinde Taliban’la muhatap olan ülke yok. Eğer Erdoğan görüşürse, bu devlet başkanı düzeyinde ilk görüşme olacak. Böyle bir görüşmenin Türkiye açısından stratejik bir hata olacağı deneyimli diplomatlar ve askerler tarafından dile getiriliyor Türkiye, bir cehenneme dönmüş olan Afganistan’da kalmaya çok istekli. Ankara’nın bu istekliliği, başta ABD tarafından da […]

Der Westen ist in Afghanistan gescheitert. Ein neuer Militäreinsatz, um die Taliban zu vertreiben, ist unrealistisch. Trotzdem haben die westlichen Truppen noch eine Aufgabe: Sie müssen Friedensverhandlungen erzwingen. Der Westen ist gescheitert, in Afghanistan gescheitert. Das ist die bittere Wahrheit. Und jetzt? Das Scheitern ist seit Langem klar – aber es wird uns jetzt in aller Deutlichkeit vor Augen geführt: […]

Western powers appear to be preparing for the fall of Kabul, after the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada all announced fresh troop deployments to help evacuate citizens and other residents of the Afghan capital on Thursday. The United States will send 3,000 troops to secure Kabul’s international airport and mount an evacuation effort for U.S. embassy staff alongside Afghans […]

The situation in Afghanistan—and with it the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship—is likely to worsen in the short term. The prospect of a prolonged civil war or full Taliban takeover now looms large as hopes of a negotiated settlement recede. Whatever the outcome, the countries’ bilateral relationship will continue to be shaped by tensions that have characterized it for more than a century. […]

No matter where the conflict goes from here, Afghans will bear enormous costs as stability looks to be a distant prospect. The Afghan government has had its most difficult week fighting the Taliban since the insurgency began. As of this writing, 12 provincial capitals have fallen since last Friday, marking the first time the Taliban have controlled a city since […]