Category: South East Asia

The Taliban Are Getting Stronger In Afghanistan As U.S. And NATO Forces Exit

At a dusty bus station on this city’s outskirts, ticket hawkers call out for passengers to the southern city of Kandahar. It’s a 300-mile route — and the Taliban control key parts of the highway. There are gun battles along the route, and the Taliban undertake violent ambushes of Afghan forces. But for bus driver Jan Mohammad, the highway seems […]

Read more ›

US withdrawal sparks new wave of violence in Balochistan by Pakistan Taliban

The US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to increased violence in Balochistan by Pakistan Taliban. The revival of the Pakistani Taliban is not only linked with the growing turmoil in neighbouring Afghanistan caused by the US troop withdrawal but also to growing differences between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, including over Pakistan’s growing new strategic engagement with the US, […]

Read more ›

2 Police Chiefs, 6 Soldiers Killed in Baghlan Clashes: Source

At least eight security force members, including police chiefs for two districts of Baghlan, were killed in a Taliban attack on Julga district in Baghlan province on Friday night, a security official who wished not to be named said. Taliban attack started after midnight on Friday from different directions towards the center of Julga district in the northern province of […]

Read more ›

Politicians Seek End to Rift Among Political Leaders

Prominent Afghan politicians at a gathering on Saturday sought end to the internal rift among the country’s political leaders, saying that it has deteriorated the security situation in Afghanistan. The politicians said the rifts must end and the people should not be sacrificed anymore. “For the sake of this oppressed nation whose sons are martyred every day, stop the war […]

Read more ›

Talibanization in Afghanistan Could Explode Central Asia

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims observe daylong fasting, is supposed to be a time for strict piety, restraint and self discipline. But this year Ramadan saw unprecedented escalation in fighting and bloodshed in Afghanistan as the Taliban continued the ruthless carnage, targeting common Afghans in most parts of the war-ravaged country. The worst of the terrorist […]

Read more ›

US announces more than $266 million in new Afghanistan aid

With the U.S. troop withdrawal well underway, the United States on Friday announced more than $266 million in new humanitarian aid for Afghanistan as part of what it called an enduring U.S. commitment to the war-torn country. The announcement comes amid unrelenting violence and a stalled peace process that are fueling fears that the departure of U.S.-led international forces is […]

Read more ›

China’s Wang says Afghans ‘can control own destiny’ post withdrawal

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said this week that while the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan will bring some uncertainties, the move will give the Afghan people the chance to control their own future. Following a video dialogue on Thursday with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts, Wang said troops withdrawal will give Afghans an opportunity “to truly control their […]

Read more ›

Two district police chiefs, 8 soldiers killed in Baghlan, Ghazni clashes

At least ten security force members, including police chiefs from two Baghlan provincial districts, were killed in Taliban attacks on Friday night in Julga district, security sources confirmed. According to them, the Taliban launched an attack on Julga district, just after midnight, from a number of different directions. The skirmishes continued into Saturday morning, sources said. Gulbuddin Ghafoori, the police […]

Read more ›

Zabul’s Shinkai district falls to the Taliban

Zabul’s Shinkai district police headquarters, district building and bazaar have been seized by the Taliban, sources told Ariana News Saturday morning. According to sources, Afghan National Army soldiers based in the district withdrew to another ANA base on the outskirts of Shinkai. This, said sources, led to the Taliban seizing the district on Saturday morning. This brings the total number […]

Read more ›

China, Pakistan Partner in Afghanistan Against Foe U.S. Denies Exists

China and Pakistan are looking to bolster their strategic partnership in Afghanistan, where the withdrawal of U.S. troops after two decades of warfare is set to bring along new opportunities and uncertainties, among them the question of a common foe that the United States says does not exist. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mahmoud Shah Qureshi […]

Read more ›