Michael Hughes: The Taliban recently rolled out their own targeted assassination program with a rocket attack designed to take out “high value” coalition leaders likely in response to President Donald Trump’s new Afghan strategy. Questions do remain, however, as to the Taliban’s larger motives and if there are more sinister forces at play. Click here to
VOA News October 1, 2017 Ayaz Gul ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, held “candid and “constructive” talks with Afghan leaders on bilateral relations and ways to enhance mutual cooperation to fight terrorism. Accompanied by the chief of Pakistani spy agency, ISI, the general met Sunday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the
Press TV / September 24, 2017 Taliban militants have targeted a military convoy of Danish NATO forces in the Afghan capital of Kabul. There have been no reports of casualties among the foreign forces but at least three civilians have sustained injuries. Afghan officials said the incident took place early on Sunday when a bomber
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 22, 2017 Pakistan’s new prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, in his first address before the UN General Assembly, rejected the new U.S. war strategy in neighboring Afghanistan while praising China’s growing economic role in the region. An important component of the White House’s recently unveiled strategy to try to win
VOA News September 21, 2017 ISLAMABAD — Pakistan has vowed to remain engaged with the United States in fighting regional terrorism and stabilizing Afghanistan, but said “any political or military” role for its archenemy India in the war-torn country will be unacceptable for Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi made the remarks late Wednesday during
VOA News / September 18, 2017 Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the U.S. is sending another 3,000 troops to Afghanistan, an increase of over 25 percent in the number of American forces there. Mattis told reporters Monday at the Pentagon that the boost in U.S. troop strength would be “over 3,000,” but he declined to
VOA News / September 18, 2017 Ayaz Gul A suicide blast near one of Pakistan’s two main border crossings with Afghanistan has wounded at least 22 people, including several members of the security forces. Monday evening’s attack prompted Pakistani authorities to swiftly suspended all traffic at the southwestern Chaman post. Officials said personnel of the
Tolo News: Pakistan’s new prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the bombers behind a deadly truck bombing in the diplomatic zone of Kabul in May, which killed over 150 people, were likely to have come from Pakistan. In an interview with Financial Times, published Monday, Abbasi also admitted the limitations of its operations but said
RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal September 16, 2017 Officials in Pakistan have reopened the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan, one day after a grenade attack injured more than a dozen people. Torkham was reopened on September 16, one day after eight soldiers and a child were injured on the Pakistani side of the crossing and seven people
VOA News September 15, 2017 Saibal Dasgupta BEIJING — A decision by the BRICS nations to name and denounce specific terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere is sparking debate among academics and analysts in China. Earlier this month, the group, comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, extended their support to Kabul’s counterterrorism