Khalilzad wraps up regional trip, highlights need to keep republic intact

US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a series of tweets he has wrapped up his latest trip - to Tashkent, Doha, Kabul, and Dushanbe - with a stop in Berlin - which was focused on building regional consensus on the Afghan Peace Process. Khalilzad said there is "a unique international consensus for...

Women MPs share concerns with US Congress in virtual meeting

Women representatives of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) attended a video conference with key members of the U.S. Congress on Thursday evening where they discussed the latest political and security developments in Afghanistan. According to the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Afghan...

US sends more warplanes to protect troop withdrawal

Washington has deployed a dozen additional warplanes to bolster protection of American and coalition troops making a final withdrawal from Afghanistan as Taliban insurgents step up pressure on Afghan government forces, top Pentagon officials said Thursday. AP reported that General Mark Milley, chairman...

6 Policemen Wounded in Herat IED Blast

At least six policemen were wounded in a mine blast close to a police outpost in Herat province on Tuesday night, local officials said on Wednesday. The blast occurred around 10:30pm local time in Angel district after a mine placed close to the outpost exploded, said Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman...

Afghan Govt Will Not Release More Taliban Prisoners: Omar

Waheed Omar, President Ghani�s senior adviser for public and strategic affairs, on Wednesday said that the Afghan government will not release more Taliban prisoners, and said that previous releases has resulted in more violence. This comes as the Taliban has demanded the release of 7,000 more prisoners,...

Elections planned for summer, including Ghazni poll

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said on Tuesday that various elections will be held across the country in summer, including the long overdue Ghazni parliamentary elections as well as provincial council, district council and municipal elections. Saleh said that in a meeting chaired by President...

Taliban ambush security checkpoint in Badakhshan

Abdullah Naji Nazari, a member of the Badakhshan Provincial Council, said Tuesday the Taliban attacked a checkpoint in Pul-e-Soch in Badakhshan�s Jurm district at midnight on Monday. The attack lasted for two hours. According to Nazari, three soldiers were killed, three were wounded and three others...

Two police personnel killed in targeted explosion in Kabul

At least two Afghan National Police (ANP) personnel were killed in an early morning IED explosion in Kabul on Saturday. According to police the explosion happened in PD3 in Dehbore square area of Kabul. Police said a Land Cruiser, belonging to Kabul Police Headquarters, had been targeted in the IED...

12 local police killed in Taliban attack in Herat

At least 12 members of Afghan local police were killed in an attack by Taliban "infiltrators" in Herat province, local officials confirmed Saturday. Herat police spokesman Abdul Ahad Walidaza said the incident occurred on Friday night in Ghorian district. According to Walizada a delegation has arrived...

Afghan MPs: No System Acceptable Except Republic

Reacting to the rumors about the establishment of an interim government in Afghanistan as a result of a peace negotiation talks, lawmakers in Afghanistan�s parliament on Wednesday said that no political system will be acceptable for the Afghan people except a republic system. However, some other members...

US rejects claims its pushing for interim government in Afghanistan

US Chargé d�Affaires to Kabul Ross Wilson said Wednesday afternoon that the United States has not advocated for an interim government nor is it advocating for one. "We have not advocated, and the United States is not advocating, an interim government," Wilson tweeted. He said the United States...

UK troops should stay until peace talks are over: House of Lords

A House of Lords committee on Tuesday recommended that British troops should stay in Afghanistan until peace talks with the Taliban are over and urged the British government to shape its own policy rather than simply follow the United States. Releasing their report on "The UK and Afghanistan", the...

Peaceful, Stable Afghanistan Will Bring Opportunity: Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday during his meeting with Karim Khalili, the head of Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami in Islamabad said that "a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will open up new vistas of cooperation in trade and regional connectivity." Khalili and Khan during the meeting exchanged...

Khalili meets with Pakistan�s speaker of the house to discuss peace process

Hizb-e-Wahadat-e-Islami Chairman Muhammad Karim Khalili met with Pakistan National Assembly Speaker, Asad Qaiser in Islamabad on Monday and discussed the Afghan peace process among other issues. Khalili, who is leading a delegation on a three-day visit to Islamabad, has also already met with Foreign...

Gunmen target Mazar army personnel in military vehicle

Armed men attacked an army vehicle in northern Balkh province early on Tuesday morning, sources said. Eyewitnesses said that armed motorcyclists opened fire on a vehicle carrying the 209 Shaheen Corps personnel in PD5 of Mazar-e-Sharif city in the province. According to them, five soldiers - including...

US Troop Drawdown in Afghanistan �Not Halted�: Report

The US military has not halted a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Department of Defense told Reuters on Monday, despite a new law prohibiting further reductions without the Pentagon sending Congress an assessment of the risks, Reuters reported. "Currently, no new orders have been issued which...

38 Taliban killed, incl 9 Pakistanis, in airstrikes in Farah and Nimroz

At least 29 Taliban militants were killed and seven others wounded in airstrikes by Afghan forces in western Farah province, the Afghan army said Monday. The Afghan National Army (ANA) said in a statement that insurgents attacked several security outposts on Sunday night but "faced fierce resistance...

Govt says NYT claims of misinforming media are baseless

President Ashraf Ghani�s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi has rejected claims in an article by The New York Times on Monday that the Afghan government has "sidelined spokesmen in an escalating misinformation war". Sediqqi said the claims are "baseless". Taking to Twitter, Sediqqi said "bizarre claims! For...

�12 Civilians Killed in Nimruz Airstrike�: Local Council Head

At least 12 civilians were killed in an airstrike in Nimruz province on Saturday night, provincial council head Baz Mohammad Nasir said on Sunday. The airstrike took place in Munazari village in Khashrod district, Nasir said, adding that the "Taliban were also targeted but there are no reports on...

Govt spokesman killed in Kabul explosion

At least three people including the spokesman for the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) were killed in an early morning explosion in Kabul city, police confirmed. According to police, Zia Wadan was killed along with his bodyguard and driver at about 8am local time in a magnetic IED explosion in...

Ghani meets with Turkmen delegation

President Ashraf Ghani met with high-ranking officials from Turkmenistan on Saturday where both sides discussed an array of issues including regional connectivity projects and railway links. Leading the Turkmen delegation was Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of Cabinet Ministers and Minister of Foreign...

Four soldiers killed in Taliban attack on Takhar base

Taliban militants stormed a military base in the Darqad district of Takhar province late Friday night, killing four soldiers, sources confirmed. A security source told Ariana News on condition of anonymity that the Taliban�s Red Unit attacked the base in the district center at around midnight. According...

Ghani adamant about handing over power to elected successor

President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday his basic goal is to be able to hand over power to an elected successor so as to honor all Afghans for the sacrifices they have made. In an interview with CNN, Ghani said he hopes to do this "through the will of the people." "This is crucial to enable us to...

Reconciliation Council Leadership Approves Guideline for Talks

The leadership committee of the High Council for National Reconciliation in their fourth meeting on Saturday approved the guideline for the ongoing peace negotiations between the Afghan Republic team and the Taliban, the council said in a statement. The leadership committee--that consists of prominent...

Atmar, Khalilzad discuss Afghan peace process: MFA

Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Afghan foreign minister discusses Afghan peace process and latest development with US special envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in a VTC meeting said the ministry in a statement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said the meeting was attended by the U.S....

India to Chair UNSC�s Crucial Taliban Sanctions Committee

India will chair the UN Security Council�s crucial Taliban and Libya sanctions, and counter-terrorism committee, Indian Representative to the UN said. T. S. Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to UN, in a video message said Thursday: "I am happy to announce that India has been asked to chair...

Taliban Attacks Pushed Back in Kandahar

The Taliban attacks on various parts of Kandahar over the last few weeks that were aimed at overrunning the center of its districts have been pushed back and the group has suffered heavy casualties, a senior security official in the province said. The Taliban attacks were focused on Arghandab, Zherai,...

Four policemen, including commander killed in Herat: officials

Four security force members, including Naqibullah Sultanzai, the police chief of Ghorian district, were killed in clashes with Taliban in the district last night, confirmed provincial council member. Mohammad Sardar Bahaduri, a member of Herat Provincial Council, said that heavy clashes were ongoing...

Civilians killed in Helmand airstrike

At least five civilians were killed in an airstrike in Helmand province, local officials said Thursday. The airstrike was carried out Wednesday night in Bushran area of PD10 Lashkargah city, the capital of Helmand province. The provincial council head Attaullah Afghan confirmed the incident and said...

6 Security Force Members Killed in Kunduz Attack

At least six security force members were killed in a Taliban attack on a security base in Kunduz province on Wednesday night, provincial council member Amruddin Wali said. The attack took place in Band-e-Khan Abad in Kunduz and two others security forces members were wounded, Wali said. "The Taliban...