Ayaz Gul VOA News June 11, 2019 ISLAMABAD – The government in Afghanistan has unilaterally initiated a process of releasing hundreds of Taliban prisoners, a move being hailed both by the insurgent group and the United States amid a renewed push for finding a political settlement to the deadly Afghan war. Last week, President Ashraf
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan June 11, 2019 KABUL — Afghan special forces have rescued 44 people from a Taliban-run prison in the northern province of Baghlan, local officials say. Baghlan district Governor Khanzad Mazlomiyar said on June 11 that civilians and members of the security forces were among those freed during the operation, which
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan June 11, 2019 KABUL — Six civilians have been killed in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar after a roadside bomb ripped through the vehicle they were travelling in, officials say. Provincial police spokesman Qasim Afghan said the explosion occurred in Dand district on June 11, killing all passengers inside
Al Jazeera: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) group is expanding its footprint in Afghanistan “with thousands and thousands” of fighters after losing its so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq. The armed group is recruiting new soldiers and plotting attacks on the United States and other Western countries, US and Afghan security officials say. ISIL is seen as
Press TV June 9, 2019 Hundreds of US infantry soldiers are to be mobilized this summer prior to being deployed to Afghanistan in support of the US-led ‘Operation Freedom Sentinel,’ purportedly billed as the continuation of “the global war on terrorism.” Nearly 400 troops from the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry will be
Tolo News: Addressing Army soldiers at a ceremony in central Maidan Wardak province, Acting Defense Minister Assadullah Khalid said the Afghan forces are fighting for peace and that any deal in the peace talks which will result in “transition of power” will not be acceptable to them. His remarks come amid ongoing efforts by the Afghan
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan June 5, 2019 Afghan peace protesters who went missing after marching through a Taliban-controlled area of Helmand Province have been detained by the militants, a supporter of the movement told RFE/RL on June 5. The so-called People’s Peace Movement (PPM) attracted international attention last year with its peace marches across
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan June 4, 2019 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says he will visit Pakistan on June 27 in an effort to improve bilateral relations that are often hampered by mistrust and reciprocal accusations. Ghani said on June 4 that the visit was agreed on after he met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 3, 2019 ISLAMABAD — Officials in Afghanistan say a powerful bomb ripped through a minibus carrying government employees in Kabul Monday, killing at least five people and injuring 10 others. The deadly attack in the capital occurred on the eve of annual Eid al-Fitr festivities that marks the end of the
Michael Hughes: There are two very concerning trends recently observed about the new breed of Taliban fighter. The younger generation of Taliban have proven more adept than their predecessors at exploiting technology to wage war both on the physical field of battle and in the propaganda sphere. At the same time these Taliban millennials and post-millennials