Local uprising forces will in the future operate under the umbrella of the Afghan Interior Ministry (MoI) and the Ministry of Defense (MoD), officials said on Sunday. Tariq Arian, spokesman for the MoI said that the government has decided to pull in local uprising forces under their command, as they have done with local police and local army. Security officials […]
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Taliban ‘targeting’ Afghan pilots to bring down air force: Reuters report
At least seven Afghan pilots have been assassinated off base in recent months, according to two senior Afghan government officials, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, this series of targeted killings, which haven’t been previously reported, illustrate what U.S. and Afghan officials believe is a deliberate Taliban effort to destroy one of Afghanistan’s most valuable military assets: its corps of U.S.- […]
Read more ›Biden: US military mission in Afghanistan will end Aug 31
The United States’ military mission in Afghanistan will officially end on August 31, US President Joe Biden announced Thursday during an update on the troop withdrawal process. Biden stated a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is “not inevitable” because the Afghan military not only outnumbers the Taliban but is much better equipped. He also said the US intelligence community’s recent warning […]
Read more ›Ismail Khan vows to fight against Taliban
Jihadi Leader Mohammad Ismail Khan has created a “public resistance movement” after the Taliban militants captured several districts including two key border towns in western Herat province. Dozens of civilians and fighters aligned with the prominent anti-Taliban commander gathered at a ceremony in Herat and picked up arms with plans to fight. Mohammad Ismail Khan said he would support efforts […]
Read more ›Ghani appeals to Taliban to work with govt and not with ‘foreigners’
President Ashraf Ghani has called on the Taliban to engage in peace talks “if you accept Sharia [Islamic Law].” Addressing an event during the inauguration of Khost International Airport on Saturday, Ghani implied that the Taliban are fighting for foreigners’ interests. “Do you [Taliban] accept Sharia? Then come sit [for talks], But they say no and prefer US agreement [US-Taliban […]
Read more ›Afghan forces repulse Taliban attack in Sar-e-Pul
The Taliban militants have suffered heavy casualties in northern Sar-e-Pul province, local officials said. Sar-e-Pul Governor Abul Haq Shafaq told Ariana News that following fierce clashes with the militants the Afghan security and Defense Forces (ANSDF) managed to repulse the Taliban attacks in Balkhab district and the center of the province. According to Shafaq, at least 25 Taliban insurgents were […]
Read more ›Khalilzad back in Doha to push for political settlement
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad says that he has returned to Doha and the region “to continue our determined diplomacy in pursuit of a peace agreement between the Islamic Republic and the Taliban.” In a series of tweets, Khalilzad stated that a negotiated settlement is the only solution to end the long-term war in Afghanistan. Khalilzad added […]
Read more ›Badghis: ANDSF Pushes Back Taliban After Attacks on Qala-e-Naw
Afghan security forces have launched a clearing operation in Qala-e-Naw, capital of Badghis province, on Wednesday afternoon, provincial governor Hasamuddin Shams said. The Taliban has been “pushed back from several parts of the city,” said Shams, adding that “security forces are advancing.” “I assure you that all our security forces, including the special forces, are defending the city of Qala-e-Naw. […]
Read more ›Kabul: 6 Policemen Killed in Taliban Attack in Paghman
At least six policemen were killed in a Taliban attack in the Qala-e-Haidar Khan village of Paghman district in the west of Kabul. Security sources said that the Taliban launched an attack around 2:00 am on Tuesday night and seized all the weapons and other military equipment after killing the soldiers. The security sources said that the Taliban also sustained […]
Read more ›The Irish Times view on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan: the Taliban’s opportunity
The US military’s departure leaves the battered country precariously teetering on the edge of a Taliban takeover The definitive closure of Bagram Air Base, the nerve centre of 20 years of American military operations in Afghanistan, marks in a real sense the finality of US withdrawal from the country. It is the end of a campaign by international allies that […]
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