Tolo News: Local officials in Herat were criticized for not providing details on a drone strike in Shindand district in the province on January 8 that killed almost 30 civilians and targeted a commander of Taliban’s splinter faction Mullah Nangialai. Elders in the province and Provincial Council members said Mullah Nangialai had a “close relationship” with the government
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 11, 2020 ISLAMABAD – A roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan killed at least two American soldiers on Saturday and injured two others. NATO’s Resolute Support mission said the service members were conducting operations in southern Kandahar province when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, or IED. The Taliban quickly
NYT: Afghan officials fear that an escalation between Iran and the United States could hurt chances for peace with the Taliban during a critical time – Now that Iranian missiles have come into play, some of the particular vulnerabilities of Afghanistan, which lies along Iran’s northeastern border and still hosts about 13,000 American military personnel on
Tolo News: The governor of Kunar, Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal, said that around 1,200 fighters–including foreigners– are active locally. “According to our intelligence, there are up to 1,200 fighters, including fighters from Central Asian countries, Arabs, Punjabis and even Bangladeshi citizens and two to three Iranian families,” said Mirzakwal. Click here to read more (external link).
Ayesha Tanzeem VOA News January 8, 2020 ISLAMABAD – Two Afghan pilots died in a military helicopter crash in Farah province in western Afghanistan Wednesday. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said the MI 35 gunship was on its way from the provincial capital to the Pur Chaman district in the east of the province. MoD
Breitbart: On Tuesday’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” network national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claim Iran is funding the Taliban’s Haqqani network was “baffling.” “… baffling and an exaggeration at best given that Pakistan is well known to be the main force backing the Haqqani network.” Click here
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 7, 2020 WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has rejected suggestions that Iran’s top military commander was on a “diplomatic” mission when he was killed by a U.S. air strike near Baghdad last week. “Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that this
TomDispatch: U.S. “plans” for the Afghan War might prove a crime against humanity – It’s a strange fact of our moment that President Trump has claimed to have “plans” (or “a method”) for annihilating millions of innocent people, possibly most of the population of Afghanistan. Yet those comments of his barely made the news, disappearing
Tolo News: Sources familiar with the peace talks said that the Taliban will share the results of their discussions about the reduction of violence with US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad over the next few days. The source said Khalilzad has returned to Qatar and held an informal meeting with the Taliban’s deputy leader Mullah Abdul
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan January 4, 2020 An explosion during the morning rush hour in the northern Afghan province of Balkh has killed a local resident and wounded at least two others, police said, adding the victims were civilians. The blast was caused by an improvised explosive device attached to a vehicle, Balkh police