Category: South East Asia

Can Afghan forces hold off the Taliban after American troops leave?

The army is weaker than the one left behind by the Soviet Union, but so are the militants opposing them LITTLE MORE than a month after its final phase began, the pace of America’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan is accelerating. President Joe Biden has declared that all American troops will be out by September. Now it seems possible that they […]

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Iran’s Long-Standing Strategic ‘Hedging’ in Afghanistan to Intensify Due to US Troop Withdrawal

Iran has long claimed to support political stabilization in neighboring Afghanistan while at the same time expanding its ties with the Taliban, a contradictory policy that’s likely to breed more chaos and violence as the Sept. 11 deadline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan draws closer, experts say. This policy of simultaneously supporting the Afghan government and the Taliban—what the […]

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Taliban seizes eight districts in the past week

The Taliban has taken control of eight district centers in four different regions of Afghanistan over the past week as Afghan security forces struggle to maintain control of the security situation. Eight districts in the north, south, southeast, west and center have fallen under Taliban control, while another district in the south is under effective Taliban control. The disbursed location […]

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Explosion, Gun Fight Near Police HQ in Balkh District

An explosion occurred close to the police HQ of Balkh district in the northern province of Balkh on Sunday afternoon, said Adil Shah Adil, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. There are preliminary reports that gunmen attacked security forces at the scene following the blast, Adil said. “There are security force members and civilian casualties from the attack, but […]

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Security Forces Suffer ‘Heavy Casualties’ in Faryab Clashes

At least 14 security force members, including Saifurrahman Dehzad, the police chief for Qaisar district of Faryab were killed in clashes with Taliban on Saturday night, said Nader Saeedi, a member of provincial council. Taliban launched attack on the police HQ and other parts of the district on Saturday night and “have taken 37 security force members as captive,” Saeedi […]

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Britain’s war in Afghanistan has cost over $31 billion

Britain’s war in Afghanistan has cost UK taxpayers £22.2billion ($31.3 billion), the United Kingdom’s government has revealed. According to a report in the UK’s Mirror on Monday, is likely to be even higher because the bill disclosed by Defence Minister James Heappey only counts cash from a special Whitehall fund for the conflict. Revealing the cost in a written parliamentary […]

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Taliban ‘invites’ translators to remain in their own country

As concerns deepen for the safety of Afghan translators who worked alongside US and NATO forces for 20 years, once foreign troops have left the country, the Taliban on Monday issued a statement urging them not to leave Afghanistan. In a statement issued by the group, the Taliban said it “invites them to return to their normal lives and serve […]

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At least 60 soldiers under siege in Uruzgan’s Gizab district

The district headquarters, the bazaar, the police headquarters and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) compound in Gizab district in Uruzgan province have fallen to the Taliban after days of fighting, local officials said Monday. Uruzgan provincial council secretary Abdul Karim Khadimzai said more than 60 soldiers had been trapped in a residential property in the district for the past […]

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Khalilzad calls on Afghan leaders to start talks with Pakistan on peace issue

Zalmay Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has urged Afghan leaders and politicians to start “serious negotiations” with Pakistan in order to resolve the Afghan peace issue, sources said. A number of Afghan politicians, who have recently met with Khalilzad, stated that Khalilzad has urged Afghanistan to send a high-ranking delegation to negotiate with Pakistan. Pakistan has played a […]

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Afghan security forces suffer ‘shockingly high’ casualties

At least 150 Afghan troops have been killed or injured in the last 24 hours in a surge of attacks by Taliban militants, senior government officials told Reuters on Monday. According to the officials, fighting is now raging in 26 of the country’s 34 provinces. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity as the Afghan government does not give total […]

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