RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan August 18, 2018 The leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban has said there can be no peace in the country as long as foreign “occupation” goes on. In an August 18 statement to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada repeated that the Taliban remain committed to “Islamic goals” and the sovereignty
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 27, 2018 ISLAMABAD — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reiterated Wednesday he is ready to hold direct peace talks with the Taliban leader, Mawlawi Hibatulluah Akhunzada, anywhere he wants. In an opinion piece published by the New York Times Wednesday, Ghani called for building on unprecedented separate cease-fires his government and the Taliban observed
Mohammad Habibzada VOA News June 18, 2018 WASHINGTON — The Afghan Taliban attacked security forces in at least nine provinces Monday, making good on a threat to resume fighting, even as the government extended by 10 days a unilateral cease-fire. “The cease-fire was violated in some parts of the country, during which 12 of our soldiers
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 15, 2018 ISLAMABAD — Warring sides in Afghanistan have temporarily ceased battlefield hostilities for the first time in nearly 18 years after a Taliban limited cease-fire went into effect on Friday. The Afghan government already has halted its counter-insurgency operations for a week starting from last Tuesday to encourage the Islamist
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 12, 2018 ISLAMABAD — The leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, renewed his call Tuesday for direct talks with the United States to end the war, dashing renewed hopes the insurgent group might be mulling to engage in a peace dialogue with the Kabul government. In his “message of felicitation” on
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 9, 2018 ISLAMABAD — The Taliban announced Saturday it will halt offensive operations against government security forces across Afghanistan during three-day festivities of Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The cease-fire coincides with the unilateral weeklong halting of anti-Taliban operations by the Afghan
Mohammad Habibzada VOA News May 7, 2018 WASHINGTON — A high-ranking Taliban member is calling for peace in Afghanistan. The comment by shadow chief justice, Mawlawi Abdul Hokom came in a letter to Taliban leader Habtullah Akhundzada. Hokom said all Afghans, including those living in Taliban or Afghan government-controlled areas, are tired of war and want
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 18, 2018 The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says that Afghanistan is getting closer to holding peace talks with the Taliban as a result of a new Afghan strategy put in place by the United States last year. The remarks by Ambassador Nikki Haley at the UN in New
Tolo News: Kandahar’s police chief General Abdul Raziq said that Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada visited Helmand a week and a half ago where he met with Taliban members. Raziq said that the visit had been at the request of Pakistan’s intelligence services, ISI. According to him, the Taliban leader visited Mosa Qala in Helmand after
Ayaz Gul VOA News August 30, 2017 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — The fugitive leader of the Afghan Taliban renewed his call Wednesday for U.S. and NATO forces to leave the country, saying that would pave the way to peacefully resolve the armed conflict. The remarks by Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada came in a message to mark the coming