The Taliban has “surrounded” five provincial capitals in Afghanistan as of Feb. 2021, according to the Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. FDD’s Long War Journal has assessed that 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are now under direct Taliban threat. For information on districts controlled and contested by the Taliban, see LWJ report, Mapping Taliban Control in Afghanistan. The […]

According to Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Beijing is willing to deepen counter-terrorism and security cooperation with Afghanistan and help the country strengthen its anti-terrorism capacities. Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar on Monday. Wang said China would continue to support the Afghan government in the country’s peace […]

The Taliban has “maintained close ties with al Qaeda” and is “very likely preparing for large-scale offensives against population centers and Afghan government installations,” according to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The DIA’s analysis is cited in a report prepared by the Department of Defense’s Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan. The inspector general’s report was released […]

Eleven members of the US House of Representatives–10 Democrats and one Republican–wrote a letter to President Joe Biden on the “enduring interests and ideals that should continue to guide US efforts in Afghanistan even as the armed forces end their mission in the country” amid the start of the withdrawal of American troops from the country. The letter was signed […]

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday responded to Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib’s recent criticism of Pakistan’s policy on Afghanistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister said that on the one hand, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani urges Pakistan for cooperation and, on the other hand, levels baseless allegations against Islamabad. Speaking in a session of Pakistan’s parliament, Qureshi asked […]

Three sources on Wednesday said that the Supreme State Council is expected to be finalized soon, however, more decisions need to be made about the role of the council, specifically whether or not it will be a decision-making or advisory body. According to the sources, the conflict over the appointment of the new governor of Faryab has now raised questions […]

Taliban on Tuesday morning launched an attack on the Obe district in the western province of Herat, the provincial governor Waheed Qatali said. He said the attack started with the “destruction” of a bridge by the Taliban. The bridge, he said, connected the Obe district with other parts of the province. “Three Taliban fighters, including their commander, were killed in […]

President Ashraf Ghani said that the Afghan government is ready to fight against the Taliban after the full withdrawal of international troops from the country, reiterating that the key to peace talks is accepting the election as a way forward for Afghanistan’s future government. “The threat of terrorism has changed. It has not disappeared. We are all agreed on this,” […]

Government officials in the eastern part of the country say there have been heavy clashes between Afghan security forces and the Taliban for several days. The officials added that after the 3-day Eid ceasefire, the Taliban and the security forces have started fighting in Khogyani, Shirzad, and Hesarak district in Nangarhar, and Dolat Shah and Ali Sheng districts in Laghman […]

Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar on Tuesday spoke about a recent trip of a high-level Pakistani delegation to Kabul. He said the two sides reached agreements about the peace process in Afghanistan, but the two countries now need to take practical steps to expand bilateral cooperation on peace in Afghanistan. Atmar made it clear that Afghanistan will not trust […]