Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 21, 2020 At least nine Afghan soldiers were killed in an attack late on September 20 despite ongoing negotiations between the Taliban and the Kabul government. Taliban militants killed the nine soldiers during the night in the northern province of Takhar, security officials said. The attack took place in the
By Ayaz Gul VOA News September 14, 2020 ISLAMABAD – America’s peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Pakistan on Monday and conveyed Washington’s gratitude for the “important role” Islamabad has played in easing the start of reconciliation talks between warring Afghan parties, officials said. The historic, intra-Afghan negotiations began last Saturday in Doha, Qatar, where
Ayaz Gul VOA News August 16, 2020 ISLAMABAD – The United States has called on Afghanistan’s warring sides to start negotiations without further delay to deter “those who seek to disrupt the peace process.” U.S. special envoy to the war-torn country Zalmay issued the call in response to Friday’s attempt on the life of a
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty July 29, 2020 Top U.S. officials have hailed a three-day cease-fire proposed by the Taliban and agreed by the Afghan government, raising hopes that the long-delayed intra-Afghan peace talks could begin next week. The two foes announced a halt in hostilities for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday starting on July 31,
Tehran Times: Iran’s embassy in Kabul has issued a statement reiterating support for peace talks in Afghanistan led by the Afghan leaders. The statement came as a response to a claim made by Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States’ chief negotiator with the Afghan Taliban, about Iran’s lack of support for a U.S.-led attempt to get
Ayaz Gul VOA News July 25, 2020 ISLAMABAD – The U.S. peace envoy to Afghanistan said Friday that violence in the war-torn country had lately been “too high,” but that fatalities among Afghan government security forces battling the Taliban insurgency had dropped 35 percent to 40 percent compared with the same period in 2019. Zalmay
Tolo News: A US official in Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that the five bases closed in Afghanistan–in compliance with the US-Taliban peace agreement–were in Helmand, Uruzgan, Paktika and Laghman provinces. The US peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, in a tweet on Tuesday morning said: “As we look to the
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty June 19, 2020 The United States has reduced its troop presence in Afghanistan to levels agreed to as part of a February deal with the Taliban, the general who oversees the region says. “We agreed to go to the mid-8,000 range within 135 days,” General Kenneth McKenzie, the head of U.S.
By Jeff Seldin, Ayaz Gul VOA News | June 18, 2020 WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD – U.S. officials say they are seriously investigating Taliban claims that Islamic State in Afghanistan was plotting to assassinate Zalmay Khalilzad, the American peace envoy for the country. The Taliban have recently shared with journalists a video of two blindfolded men in their custody, saying