The Afghan National Security and Defense Forces (ANDSF) are currently fighting the Taliban in 104 provinces, the Afghan security agencies said on Tuesday, noting a 7 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Reflecting on the numbers of Taliban attacks across the country, Ahmad Zia Saraj, the head of the Afghan intelligence agency—the National Directorate of Security (NDS)–said […]

Islamabad on Monday rejected reports of the US military setting up a base inside Pakistan as it withdraws troops from Afghanistan. “There is no US military or air base in Pakistan, nor is any such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account is baseless and irresponsible and should be avoided,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press release. He […]

At least 41 prisoners were released from a Taliban prison during an operation by Commandos in Herat province on Monday night, officials confirmed. According to a statement issued by the Commandos Media Office on Tuesday, the operation was carried out on Monday night in Marwa village of Pashtun Zarghun district of Herat province. As a result, 41 prisoners, including 19 […]

The Government of Pakistan, with the support of UNHCR, has launched a nationwide verification exercise for 1.4 million Afghan refugees during which new smartcards will be issued. The Documentation Renewal and Information Verification Exercise, or DRIVE for short, was inaugurated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Islamabad by the Federal Minister for SAFRON, His Excellency Mehboob Sultan. The UNHCR Representative, Noriko […]

After a week of fierce clashes between security forces and the Taliban in Herat’s Obe district, security forces have now taken full control of the district and have secured the district’s central market. Local officials in Herat say the Taliban have completely retreated from Obe district and the current situation is stable and people have returned to normal life. The […]

The Taliban on Tuesday pledged to provide a “safe environment” to foreign diplomats and aid organizations after Australia announced it would close its embassy over security concerns. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan assures all foreign diplomats and staff of humanitarian organizations that (we) will not pose any threats to them,” Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem told AFP. “We will provide a […]

In a sudden move on Aug. 5, India’s government announced it was eliminating the special, semiautonomous status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir by revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The decision is a watershed moment in the 72-year-long standoff between India and Pakistan over control of the Kashmir region, as well as for the Kashmiri peoples’ long […]

In late February and early March, India and Pakistan engaged in a series of aerial skirmishes after a suicide bombing killed 40 Indian security personnel in the disputed territory of Kashmir. The crisis marked the worst escalation between the two nuclear-armed countries in nearly two decades. In an interview with WPR, Avinash Paliwal, a lecturer and deputy director of the […]

For much of the past couple of decades, Afghanistan has been a rare exception to the strategic competition between India and China in South Asia. New Delhi never believed it could be the preeminent power in Afghanistan, unlike in other nearby countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal. Following the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, India was happy to […]

Along the waters of Pangong Lake, high up in the Himalayas, there was a slackening of shoulders and a collective sigh of relief on Feb. 11. After nine months of tense military confrontation, which included the first deadly clash in decades between Indian and Chinese troops along their disputed border, the two sides began withdrawing from their positions on the […]