VOA News / December 31, 2015 ISLAMABAD — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Thursday his security forces have killed scores of pro-Islamic State fighters in operations this week, dismissing criticism that the government has failed to prevent the terror group from finding safe havens in Afghanistan. Addressing a news conference in Kabul, Ghani said the Afghan state
Press TV / December 30, 2015 Militants from the Takfiri Daesh have kidnapped hundreds of civilians in the troubled eastern Afghanistan over the past two months, local officials say. Haji Ghalib Mujahid, the governor of Achin District in the eastern Nangarhar Province, announced on Wednesday that the militants abducted around 300 civilians across several villages
VOA News December 30, 2015 JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN—Several hundred local Afghans took to the streets of the eastern city of Jalalabad Wednesday, demanding that Kabul step up military operations against Islamic State (IS) and Taliban militants in Nangarhar province. Protesters chanted slogans against IS and the Taliban and accused the government of not doing enough to
The Economic Times: Mines and petroleum minister Daud Shah Saba told the upper house of his country’s parliament this week that the force will provide security during the implementation of the project and demining of the route of the pipeline within Afghanistan. He said procurement for demining will be completed by next month and work on
The Guardian (UK): Afghan journalists and analysts face attempts on their lives for criticising militants – and some point the finger at a ‘fifth column’ in the government. Click here to read more (external link).
KABUL, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) — Afghan army has found and defused 17 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in two southern provinces, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. “The Afghan National Army’s 205 Attal Corps personnel launched several cleanup operations in southern Kandahar and neighboring Uruzgan provinces, recovering 17 rounds of landmines and IEDs over the
Khaama Press: In a telephonic interview with USA TODAY from Kabul, Gen. John Campbell said that maintaining the current force of 9,800 U.S. troops to train Afghan forces and conduct counter-terrorism raids is vital, and that the scheduled reduction to 5,500 by Jan. 1, 2017, should be put off as long as possible. Click here to
VOA News / December 29, 2015 The suicide bombing Tuesday at a government office building in northwest Pakistan highlights the increasingly violent presence of the Islamic State militant group in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Jamaat ul-Ahrar, which is part of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) umbrella militant group and has reportedly joined forces with IS, has claimed
Tolo News: The Pentagon is pushing to keep Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan open beyond 2017, defense officials confirmed to Fox News – an appeal that comes as the Taliban gain ground in the country. Click here to read more (external link).
Press TV / December 29, 2015 At least 68 members of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group have been killed in strikes by the Afghan air force in the eastern province of Nangarhar. Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the provincial governor, said the aerial assaults were carried out across the Achin district some 150 kilometers (86 miles) east