By Michael Scollon Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty June 15, 2023 Targeted attacks in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan Province have left residents fearful of leaving their homes and the Taliban scrambling to maintain its authority as the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group makes clear that it has not gone away. The region, once a bastion of resistance to
Jeff Seldin VOA News June 14, 2023 WASHINGTON — There is mounting, controversial evidence that Afghanistan is rapidly turning into a cauldron for terrorist activity, with both al-Qaida and the Islamic State terror group’s Afghan affiliate growing substantially, in numbers and capabilities, without U.S. or Western forces on the ground. The dire assessment, shared in a
8am: In the past week, suicide attacks claimed the lives of two senior Taliban commanders in Badakhshan province, resulting in the death of 14 people and injuries to 43 others, primarily civilians. These attacks have drawn condemnation from the United States, Iran, and the United Nations, who denounced the deliberate targeting of civilians during a
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 8, 2023 ISLAMABAD — A bomb blast ripped through a mosque in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province during a memorial ceremony Thursday for the Taliban provincial deputy governor who was assassinated in an Islamic State group attack this week. The explosion in the provincial capital of Faizabad killed at least 11 worshipers
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 6, 2023 ISLAMABAD — Taliban authorities in Afghanistan said Tuesday that a car bomb blast had killed at least two people, including the deputy governor of the northeastern Badakhshan border province. A local official spokesman told VOA by phone that Molvi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi was being driven to work in the
AP: The education official said the person who orchestrated the poisoning had a personal grudge but did not elaborate. It is thought to be the first assault of its kind since the Taliban swept to power in 2021 and began to crack down on the rights of Afghan women and girls. Click here to read
Tolo News: Some Kabul residents criticized the surge in armed robberies in parts of the capital by irresponsible armed individuals. They asked the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] to make an effort to ensure the security of the people. Click here to read more (external link).
By Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty May 25, 2023 Afghanistan’s hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers are keen on showcasing their government’s military prowess by frequently displaying repaired helicopters and planes from the country’s inventory of aging aircraft. But the once ragtag militant group that relied on small arms, rocket launchers, roadside bombs, and suicide bombers to
Asia Times: The Taliban’s ability to lead remains questionable and instability has provided Islamic State the opportunity for expansion – On top of attracting more members to ISIS’ ranks, the Taliban fear ISIS will erase what little legitimacy they have as a governing force by keeping Afghanistan unstable. The Taliban’s leadership remains plagued by division
The Diplomat: The situation in Afghanistan is beginning to feel eerily similar to the pre-9/11 era, with the Taliban in control of the country and reunited with al-Qaida and the Haqqani Network. Within Afghanistan’s borders, a witch’s brew of terrorist and insurgent groups is metastasizing. The Taliban are actively fighting against Islamic State militants, but