Yesterday's Afghan News

Friday, May 24, 2013


Gunbattle Inside Kabul Building Follows Large Blast

May 24, 2013
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

KABUL -- Reports say gunmen have taken positions inside a building in the Afghan capital after an attack that apparently began with at least two large blasts.

Eyewitnesses on May 24 said that they heard heavy shooting after the explosions, which reportedly targeted a security building.

The afternoon attack happened in an area where some security buildings and offices of international organizations are located.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

In phone calls to media organizations, a purported Taliban spokesman has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it started with a suicide car bomb attack.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP


Multiple blasts rock Afghanistan capital

Press TV
May 24, 2013

Several people are feared dead or injured after multiple explosions rocked an administrative district in the Afghan capital, Kabul, Press TV reports.

Afghan officials said on Friday the serial bomb blasts took place near the Ministry of Interior in Kabul on Thursday.

Gunfire erupted after the bomb attacks on the district where a number of militants are said to be holed up.

Frequent bomb attacks have disrupted normal life and business activities in Afghanistan where civilian casualties are expected to rise after Washington announced plans to set up permanent bases in the country.

Taliban militants recently announced the start of their annual "spring offensive" against US-led and Afghan forces, vowing a new wave of attacks across Afghanistan.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across the country despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops.


Mosadeq: Afghanistan facing
crucial year for human rights

By MIRWAIS ADEEL - 24 May 2013, 4:57 pm

Khaama Press

The human rights situation in Afghanistan remains deeply worrying as the country faces a crucial year with the security transition well under way, Amnesty International said in its Annual Report released today.

The report looks at the state of human rights around the world over the past year, and highlights the persistent problems in Afghanistan of violence against women and girls, conflict abuses against civilians, and the dire conditions faced by displaced people.

“With the Afghan authorities’ increasing responsibility for security, it is vital that human rights be prioritized by the government and parliament, Afghanistan’s international partners,” Horia Mosadiq, Amnesty International’s Afghanistan Researcher said.

“2012 was in many ways a bleak year for human rights in Afghanistan. But there is also cause for optimism. We have seen for instance more civil society activism, especially from the women’s movement.”

Women defenders of human rights have bravely spoken out against intimidation, beatings and rape attacks against women and girls across Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission documented more than 4,000 cases of violence against women from 21 March to 21 October 2012 – a jump of 28 per cent from the same period last year, possibly due to increased public awareness.

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of the Afghan women’s movement, women and girls attacked by the Taleban or security forces, or in their own homes, still have little access to justice. The 2009 Elimination of Violence Against Women law, although a milestone achievement, remains poorly enforced.”

Amnesty International’s Annual Report this year spotlights the plight millions of migrants, refugees and displaced people face around the world.

In Afghanistan, around 500,000 people remained internally displaced by the end of October 2012. Many are forced to live in slum conditions with poor sanitation and inadequate access to education and healthcare, while under threat of being forcibly evicted.

“We’re glad that our campaign last year to ensure better protection for internally displaced persons seems to have had an impact. The Afghan government’s drafting now of a comprehensive national policy on internal displacement could help enormously, if properly resourced and implemented.”

Civilians continue to suffer disproportionately from the ongoing armed conflict.

Despite the 2010 Taliban code of conduct ordering fighters to avoid targeting civilians, the Taleban and other armed groups continue to breach the laws of war in brutal attacks causing untold suffering.

According to the UN, more than 2,700 civilians were killed in 2012 – although the vast majority (81 per cent) were caused by armed groups, there are still concerns about violations by Afghan and international forces who were responsible for eight per cent of civilian casualties.

“Afghan and international security forces must allow for independent oversight of their actions. Any alleged violations must be promptly investigated, the suspects brought to justice, and their victims provided full reparations including compensation,” said Mosadiq.

“There may be a 2014 deadline for withdrawal of international combat troops, but this should not also mean any withdrawal of support to help protect and promote human rights in Afghanistan.”

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