Afghanistan

KABUL: The US launched its first air strikes against the Taliban since a rare ceasefire between the militants and Afghan forces, the US military said on Friday. The two assaults took place on Thursday and Friday in separate provinces in Afghanistan, US forces spokesman Sonny Leggett said on Twitter. “These …

KUNDUZ: When the coronavirus first hit Afghanistan, the Taliban were boastful of their preparedness to defeat it, but now they are struggling to stem it as it spreads across their bastions. For months, Habib Rahman, a resident of a Taliban-controlled area in the south of the country, has been unable …

Al-Qaida said to quietly gain ‘strength in Afghanistan while continuing to operate’ under Taliban protection The Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan appear to have maintained their links with the al-Qaeda terror group, citing a United Nations report published Monday warns. The report, dated April 30, was produced by the Analytical Support …

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic’s policy is to expand fraternal and friendly relations with all neighbors, including Afghanistan, expressing support for the promotion of peace, stability and security in the war-ravaged country. Iran always stands by the Afghan government and nation in the promotion of peace, stability …

The Afghan government has released 900 Taliban militants from prison on the third and final day of a nationwide ceasefire, urging the militant group to extend the truce. “For better management of the prisoner issue, it is important to extend the ceasefire,” Afghan National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal told …

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says his government aims to speed up the release of Taliban prisoners, after the militant group offered a three-day ceasefire for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. “As a responsible government, we want to move one more step forward: …

Amin Alemi Afghans encounter too many difficulties in their life. Rising insecurity, unemployment, instability and war have been pressing these people for the last 4 decades. But all these difficulties have failed to prompt Afghans to forget about the importance of the International Quds Day. Many independent bodies such as …

The US intelligence agency has acknowledged that Iran is not seeking to destabilize Afghanistan where the US he’s engaged in an alleged peace process. The US military intelligence announcement runs counter to previous remarks by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, The National Interest reported. “Iran’s strategic objectives relating to Afghanistan …

Kabul: Gunmen have opened fire in a mosque in central Afghanistan, killing at least eight worshippers and wounding 12 others, officials said.Parwan province’s police chief Haroon Mubarez said on Tuesday the gunmen stormed the mosque when worshippers were offering evening prayers after breaking their Ramadan fast, Aljazeera reported.It was unclear …

Senior diplomats from Iran, Pakistan, China and Russia have thrown their weight behind a power-sharing deal in Afghanistan signed between leaders of the country’s two main political factions, expressing hope that the important step would speed up intra-Afghan talks. Special representatives of Iran, Pakistan, China and Russia for Afghanistan affairs …