Category: South East Asia

Afghanistan Again Postpones Presidential Election

Officials in Afghanistan have delayed the country’s presidential election for a second time, setting Sept. 28 as the new date. They also announced Wednesday that provincial council elections in all 34 Afghan provinces would be held on the same date.

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Turkistan Islamic Party head decries Chinese occupation

Abdul Haq al-Turkistani, the emir of the al Qaeda-affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), has released a new message decrying the Chinese occupation of the territory commonly known as Xinjiang. Al-Turkistani’s message is addressed to head of the Taliban, the leader of al Qaeda, as well as several high-profile al Qaeda ideologues. He calls on them to offer additional ideological support […]

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Why the Taliban should be required to renounce al Qaeda in any deal with US

Last week, Afghanistan’s national security adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, launched into a broadside against Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief American diplomat responsible for negotiating with the Taliban. Addressing reporters in Washington, Mohib insinuated that Khalilzad is seeking to install himself as the “viceroy” of a new “caretaker government.” The State Department quickly issued a sharp rebuke, saying that any condemnation of Khalilzad […]

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Taliban routs Afghan forces in western Afghan district

The Taliban has routed an Afghan National Army company and a border police force while pressing its offensive in the western Afghan district of Bala Murghab in Badghis province.

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Pakistan assures US to deal ‘firmly’ with all militants, says NSA Bolton

The assurance was given by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a phone call on Monday, Bolton said on a day when Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale called on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo here and discussed the need to bringing those responsible for the Pulwama attack to justice and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against militant […]

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U.S., Taliban peace talks produce draft deal on 2 issues, Trump envoy says

The United States and the Taliban now have a draft agreement on two thorny issues that signals concrete progress toward a peace deal to end the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan, U.S. presidential envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said Tuesday.

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Taliban pile pressure on Afghan government forces in west

Taliban fighters have stepped up pressure on Afghan forces in the western province of Badghis, killing 20 soldiers and capturing 20, an official said on Tuesday, as the militants make advances even as they hold peace talks with U.S. officials.

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Pakistan insists will deal ‘firmly’ with militants: Trump advisor

Pakistan promises to crack down on militant groups attacking Indian rule over Kashmir, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor John Bolton said Monday.

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US agents faked trail to infiltrate as LeT recruits

US intelligence agents laid a cyber trail all the way to a fake terror camp in Pakistan, mastered idioms and style of Islamic terrorists giving a convincing portrayal of jihadis in a bid to infiltrate a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) recruitment ring.

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Taliban Wipe Out an Afghan Army Company While Talking Peace With the U.S.

Taliban fighters killed or captured an entire Afghan National Army company of more than 50 soldiers on Monday, Afghan officials said, the latest in a series of major attacks by the militant group even as it pursues a peace deal with the United States.

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