Category: South East Asia

Many Afghans Urgently Need Visas, But The U.S. Special Visa Program Has Fallen Behind

Thousands of Afghans who have been promised U.S. visas are facing death threats from the Taliban, and the U.S. effort to evacuate them is facing daunting hurdles. The Biden administration is ahead of schedule to have all U.S. forces out of Afghanistan by the end of next month. On the heels of that withdrawal, the Taliban are violently retaking parts […]

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‘Lack of Coordination’ of Public Forces Cited in Kapisa Losses

Former Kapisa governor Mehrabuddin Safi said that weak coordination among public uprising forces led to the fall of many key areas to the Taliban in the province, including Nijrab district. Safi said that the presence of a large number of Taliban fighters also led to the fall of the Kapisa districts. Security forces left key parts of Nijrab districts two […]

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Fog of War or Foggy Narratives? Afghanistan’s Information War Heats Up

While many may say any government effort will be too little, too late, the importance of rebutting Taliban propaganda must still be a priority for the Afghan government and seen as no less important than combat operations. As the war in Afghanistan rages on between the Taliban and Afghan security forces, one frequently-cited feature in Western media coverage has been […]

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Russia, Tajikistan Discuss Measures to Counter Taliban Threats

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Tajik counterpart Sherali Mirzo on Saturday discussed joint measures to counter threats from the Taliban in the Tajikistan and Afghanistan border area, Russia’s TASS news agency reported. Russia on Friday pledged to help its ally Tajikistan to build a new outpost on the border. The two countries will also hold major drills next […]

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Insecurity in Parwan Village Linked to Illegal Armed Groups

A special unit of the country’s intelligence agency, NDS, conducted an operation in Rabat village in Parwan province last week in which 10 people were killed, following concerns raised by local residents linking insecurity in the area to the existence of illegal armed groups. There have been many reports about the activities of illegal armed groups in some areas recently. […]

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Govt Forces Leave District in Kunar, Fighting Continues in North

Sources said that security forces left Narai district in the eastern province of Kunar on Sunday due to lack of supplies and that fighting continues on other fronts, including Nijrab district in Kapisa where its central areas are still under Taliban influence. “Narai district fell (to the Taliban) without resistance. This shows the weakness of the leadership of the security […]

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Time for both sides to stop fighting and make a deal, say foreign stakeholders

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and UNAMA both issued a communique on Saturday calling on both sides to the conflict to stop the fighting and start making progress at the peace talks tables. The communique comes after a meeting on Thursday in Rome between the EU, NATO, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, and the US, where […]

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Organizer of Kabul’s Eid rocket attack arrested

Kabul police said Sunday the mastermind behind the rocket attack on Eid al-Adha has been arrested by the police’s Special Forces unit. According to the ministry of interior (MoI), the suspects were detained in PD5 in Kabul city. “During a targeted operation in Kabul’s PD5, special police forces arrested a key member of the Taliban who had planned and organized […]

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China and Pakistan call for ceasefire in Afghanistan

Pakistan and China on Saturday called on all Afghan stakeholders to agree to a ceasefire and work together to achieve an inclusive peace agreement and political settlement. According to Dawn News, the call was made by the two sides during a foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue in Chengdu in Sichuan province in China. A statement issued by China and Pakistan said […]

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Taliban Seeks Agreement on New Govt Before Any Ceasefire: AP

A Taliban spokesman has said they don’t want to monopolize power but insisted that there won’t be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed. In an interview with The Associated Press, Suhail Shaheen, Taliban spokesman and a member of the group’s negotiating team, said the Taliban will lay down […]

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