A chief negotiator of the Afghan government has said that the issue of targeted killings will be discussed when the next phase of the peace talks with the Taliban will resume on January 5.

"This (targeted killings) is one of the serious issues that we need to raise and follow," TOLO News quoted chief negotiator Masoom Stanekzai as saying on Friday.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/what-to-know-as-troubled-afghan-peace-talks-enter-a-new-phase-353923" hreflang="en">What to know as troubled Afghan peace talks enter a new phase</a>

The remarks come as six journalists have been killed in various incidents of targeted attacks across Afghanistan in the last two months.

On Friday, Bismillah Adil Aimaq, a journalist and civil society activist in Ghor province, was killed in an attack by unidentified armed men in the city of Feroz Koh.

On Thursday evening, Abdi Jahid, a civil society activist from Baghlan was killed in an attack in Kabul`s PD17 area, police said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-radio-journalist-shot-dead-in-ghor-province-353909" hreflang="en">Afghanistan: Radio journalist shot dead in Ghor province</a>

"We witnessed the killing of several journalists here in Kabul and in the provinces. This issue has raised concerns among the Afghan media community," TOLO News quoted Reza Shaheer, a journalist based in the Afghan capital, as saying.

Since January 2020, 11 Afghan journalists and media workers have been killed, making this one of the deadliest years.

A chief negotiator of the Afghan government has said that the issue of targeted killings will be discussed when the next phase of the peace talks with the Taliban will resume on January 5.

A chief negotiator of the Afghan government has said that the issue of targeted killings will be discussed when the next phase of the peace talks with the Taliban will resume on January 5. "This (targeted killings) is one of the serious issues that we need to raise and follow," TOLO News quoted chief negotiator Masoom Stanekzai as saying on Friday. Also read| What to know as troubled Afghan peace talks enter a new phase The remarks come as six journalists have been killed in various incidents of targeted attacks across Afghanistan in the last two months. On Friday, Bismillah Adil Aimaq, a journalist and civil society activist in Ghor province, was killed in an attack by unidentified armed men in the city of Feroz Koh. On Thursday evening, Abdi Jahid, a civil society activist from Baghlan was killed in an attack in Kabul`s PD17 area, police said. Also read| Afghanistan: Radio journalist shot dead in Ghor province "We witnessed the killing of several journalists here in Kabul and in the provinces. This issue has raised concerns among the Afghan media community," TOLO News quoted Reza Shaheer, a journalist based in the Afghan capital, as saying. Since January 2020, 11 Afghan journalists and media workers have been killed, making this one of the deadliest years.

Targeted killings to be discussed in Afghan peace talks: Top official

KABUL, Afghanistan — After four decades of grinding combat in Afghanistan, peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have raised at least a possibility that the long cycle of violence might someday end.

But that milestone is a long way off. The most recent round of discussions, which began in September, has been riddled with bureaucratic hang-ups and monthslong debates over minor issues.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-radio-journalist-shot-dead-in-ghor-province-353909">Afghanistan: Radio journalist shot dead in Ghor province</a>

And though those talks resulted in an agreement on the principles and procedures that will guide the next round of peace negotiations, they came with a price. While the two sides met in Doha, Qatar, bloodletting on battlefields and in Afghan cities surged.

Now with peace talks scheduled to reconvene Jan. 5, the details of what is being negotiated next remain murky.

While both the Afghan government and the Taliban have said they will not publicly release their lists of priorities for the next round of negotiations, here is what security analysts, researchers, and government and Taliban officials expect to be on the docket — and what hurdles these talks must overcome.

<h2>What are the end goals of these talks?</h2>

The ultimate goal of the negotiations is the creation of a political road map for a future government. The head of the government negotiation team, Masoom Stanikzai, said Wednesday that a cease-fire would be the delegation’s top priority. The Taliban, who have used attacks against security forces and civilians as leverage, seek instead to negotiate a form of governance based on strict Islamic law before discussing any cease-fire.

But getting to these larger fundamental issues will not be easy, as the two sides remain stuck on the meaning of basic terms like “cease-fire” and “Islamic.” There are many forms of cease-fire, from permanent and nationwide to partial and conditional, yet the public portion of the February agreement between the United States and the Taliban calling for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops mentions but does not specifically mandate or fully define what it should look like.

The Taliban also refuse to specify what they mean by “Islamic,” and the government’s own insistence on an “Islamic” republic has been a subject of intense debate.

“The Taliban say they want an Islamic system, but they don’t specify what kind,” said Abdul Haifiz Mansoor, a member of Afghanistan’s negotiating team, pointing out that there are nearly as many systems as there are Islamic countries.

Also complicating the next round of talks is a Taliban demand that the government release more Taliban prisoners. The government’s release of more than 5,000 prisoners removed the last obstacle to negotiations in September, but President Ashraf Ghani has thus far refused to release any others.

<h2>Where does the fighting stand?</h2>

Both sides exploited violence on the ground in Afghanistan for leverage during negotiations in Doha, but the Taliban have been more aggressive in their assaults than the government, whose troops tend to stay on bases and at checkpoints, responding to persistent attacks.

The killing of security force members and civilians surged while talks were underway this fall, according to a New York Times tally, before dropping once Afghan government and Taliban negotiators announced in early December that they had reached an agreement on the procedures for future talks, though cold weather likely also contributed to the decline. At least 429 pro-government forces were killed in September, and at least 212 civilians were in October — the worst tolls in each category in more than a year.

“Killing and bloodshed have reached new peaks,” said Atiqullah Amarkhel, a military analyst in Kabul. “What kind of will for peace is this?”

Ibraheem Bahiss, an independent Afghan research analyst, said the Taliban are pursuing two tracks simultaneously: violence and negotiation.

“Their aim is to get into power and have a particular type of government system,” Bahiss said. “Whether they achieve it through talks or through fighting, both entail costs they are willing to bear.”

<h2>What role is the U.S. playing right now?</h2>

Although the Taliban have greatly reduced direct attacks on U.S. forces since February, the insurgent group has inexorably expanded the territory it controls by besieging local security forces.

In response, the Americans have launched airstrikes in instances where Afghan troops were under extreme duress during Taliban onslaughts. A Taliban official framed the group’s levels of violence as a direct response to airstrikes by the United States or to military and ill-received diplomatic moves by the Afghan government.

U.S. airstrikes salvaged the crumpling defenses of Afghan units in Kandahar and Helmand provinces this fall, exposing, once more, deficiencies in Afghan ground and air forces that are under constant attack. The forces’ slumping morale has drawn increasing concern from Gen. Austin Miller, commander of the U.S.-led mission in the country, according to U.S. officials.

At the same time, U.S. troop numbers have dropped from about 12,000 in February to a projected 2,500 by mid-January, with a complete withdrawal planned by May if the agreement holds. That has left Afghan officials unsure of how their forces can hold ground without U.S. support.

The importance of the talks to the United States was underscored in November, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Doha and met with negotiators, and again in mid-December, when the chair of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, did the same.

A Pentagon statement said Milley had pressed the Taliban for “an immediate reduction of violence,” a term U.S. officials have used several times this year that is open to a wide range of interpretations. U.S. officials are trying to establish an equilibrium on the battlefield.

Both sides are also waiting to see whether President-elect Joe Biden will honor the troop withdrawal schedule or, conceivably, move to renegotiate the entire deal.

If Biden decides to leave a residual U.S. military counterterrorism force in Afghanistan after May 2021, as some U.S. lawmakers are proposing, Bahiss said, “the Taliban have made it clear that would nullify the entire agreement.”

<h2>What other obstacles could stall the negotiations?</h2>

Given the recriminations and suspicions in Doha, some Afghan analysts fear the talks could remain deadlocked for months.

“Mistrust between the two sides has led to an increase in violence, but nothing has been done to eliminate that mistrust,” said Syed Akbar Agha, a former leader of the Taliban’s Jaish-ul-Muslimeen group.

That could indefinitely delay serious attempts to address core government concerns like human rights, a free press, rights for women and religious minorities, and democratic elections, among others.

Taliban negotiators have said they support women’s rights, for example, but only under strict Islamic law. Many analysts interpret that to mean the same harsh oppression of women practiced by the Taliban when they governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

The deeply divided government in Kabul also worries that the Taliban will try to run out the clock until all U.S. forces leave, whereas the Taliban contend that Ghani, who was reelected in a bitterly disputed election last spring, is stalling to serve out his five-year term. If some form of government of national unity or a transitional government were agreed upon, Ghani would be unlikely to continue as president.

Another complication is division within the Taliban, from hard-line commanders in Afghanistan to political negotiators in Doha’s hotels. Some Taliban factions believe they should fight and defeat the Americans and the Afghan government, not negotiate with them.

Agha, the former Taliban leader, said little progress was likely unless an impartial mediator emerged who could break down the lack of trust in Doha.

“If not,” he said, “I don’t think the next round of talks will end with a positive result.”

Some analysts fear an even more ominous outcome. Torek Farhadi, a former Afghan government adviser, said, “One thing is clear: Without a settlement, we are headed for a civil war.” 
&nbsp;

KABUL, Afghanistan — After four decades of grinding combat in Afghanistan, peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have raised at least a possibility that the long cycle of violence might someday end.

KABUL, Afghanistan — After four decades of grinding combat in Afghanistan, peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have raised at least a possibility that the long cycle of violence might someday end. But that milestone is a long way off. The most recent round of discussions, which began in September, has been riddled with bureaucratic hang-ups and monthslong debates over minor issues. Also read | Afghanistan: Radio journalist shot dead in Ghor province And though those talks resulted in an agreement on the principles and procedures that will guide the next round of peace negotiations, they came with a price. While the two sides met in Doha, Qatar, bloodletting on battlefields and in Afghan cities surged. Now with peace talks scheduled to reconvene Jan. 5, the details of what is being negotiated next remain murky. While both the Afghan government and the Taliban have said they will not publicly release their lists of priorities for the next round of negotiations, here is what security analysts, researchers, and government and Taliban officials expect to be on the docket — and what hurdles these talks must overcome. What are the end goals of these talks? The ultimate goal of the negotiations is the creation of a political road map for a future government. The head of the government negotiation team, Masoom Stanikzai, said Wednesday that a cease-fire would be the delegation’s top priority. The Taliban, who have used attacks against security forces and civilians as leverage, seek instead to negotiate a form of governance based on strict Islamic law before discussing any cease-fire. But getting to these larger fundamental issues will not be easy, as the two sides remain stuck on the meaning of basic terms like “cease-fire” and “Islamic.” There are many forms of cease-fire, from permanent and nationwide to partial and conditional, yet the public portion of the February agreement between the United States and the Taliban calling for the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops mentions but does not specifically mandate or fully define what it should look like. The Taliban also refuse to specify what they mean by “Islamic,” and the government’s own insistence on an “Islamic” republic has been a subject of intense debate. “The Taliban say they want an Islamic system, but they don’t specify what kind,” said Abdul Haifiz Mansoor, a member of Afghanistan’s negotiating team, pointing out that there are nearly as many systems as there are Islamic countries. Also complicating the next round of talks is a Taliban demand that the government release more Taliban prisoners. The government’s release of more than 5,000 prisoners removed the last obstacle to negotiations in September, but President Ashraf Ghani has thus far refused to release any others. Where does the fighting stand? Both sides exploited violence on the ground in Afghanistan for leverage during negotiations in Doha, but the Taliban have been more aggressive in their assaults than the government, whose troops tend to stay on bases and at checkpoints, responding to persistent attacks. The killing of security force members and civilians surged while talks were underway this fall, according to a New York Times tally, before dropping once Afghan government and Taliban negotiators announced in early December that they had reached an agreement on the procedures for future talks, though cold weather likely also contributed to the decline. At least 429 pro-government forces were killed in September, and at least 212 civilians were in October — the worst tolls in each category in more than a year. “Killing and bloodshed have reached new peaks,” said Atiqullah Amarkhel, a military analyst in Kabul. “What kind of will for peace is this?” Ibraheem Bahiss, an independent Afghan research analyst, said the Taliban are pursuing two tracks simultaneously: violence and negotiation. “Their aim is to get into power and have a particular type of government system,” Bahiss said. “Whether they achieve it through talks or through fighting, both entail costs they are willing to bear.” What role is the U.S. playing right now? Although the Taliban have greatly reduced direct attacks on U.S. forces since February, the insurgent group has inexorably expanded the territory it controls by besieging local security forces. In response, the Americans have launched airstrikes in instances where Afghan troops were under extreme duress during Taliban onslaughts. A Taliban official framed the group’s levels of violence as a direct response to airstrikes by the United States or to military and ill-received diplomatic moves by the Afghan government. U.S. airstrikes salvaged the crumpling defenses of Afghan units in Kandahar and Helmand provinces this fall, exposing, once more, deficiencies in Afghan ground and air forces that are under constant attack. The forces’ slumping morale has drawn increasing concern from Gen. Austin Miller, commander of the U.S.-led mission in the country, according to U.S. officials. At the same time, U.S. troop numbers have dropped from about 12,000 in February to a projected 2,500 by mid-January, with a complete withdrawal planned by May if the agreement holds. That has left Afghan officials unsure of how their forces can hold ground without U.S. support. The importance of the talks to the United States was underscored in November, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Doha and met with negotiators, and again in mid-December, when the chair of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, did the same. A Pentagon statement said Milley had pressed the Taliban for “an immediate reduction of violence,” a term U.S. officials have used several times this year that is open to a wide range of interpretations. U.S. officials are trying to establish an equilibrium on the battlefield. Both sides are also waiting to see whether President-elect Joe Biden will honor the troop withdrawal schedule or, conceivably, move to renegotiate the entire deal. If Biden decides to leave a residual U.S. military counterterrorism force in Afghanistan after May 2021, as some U.S. lawmakers are proposing, Bahiss said, “the Taliban have made it clear that would nullify the entire agreement.” What other obstacles could stall the negotiations? Given the recriminations and suspicions in Doha, some Afghan analysts fear the talks could remain deadlocked for months. “Mistrust between the two sides has led to an increase in violence, but nothing has been done to eliminate that mistrust,” said Syed Akbar Agha, a former leader of the Taliban’s Jaish-ul-Muslimeen group. That could indefinitely delay serious attempts to address core government concerns like human rights, a free press, rights for women and religious minorities, and democratic elections, among others. Taliban negotiators have said they support women’s rights, for example, but only under strict Islamic law. Many analysts interpret that to mean the same harsh oppression of women practiced by the Taliban when they governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The deeply divided government in Kabul also worries that the Taliban will try to run out the clock until all U.S. forces leave, whereas the Taliban contend that Ghani, who was reelected in a bitterly disputed election last spring, is stalling to serve out his five-year term. If some form of government of national unity or a transitional government were agreed upon, Ghani would be unlikely to continue as president. Another complication is division within the Taliban, from hard-line commanders in Afghanistan to political negotiators in Doha’s hotels. Some Taliban factions believe they should fight and defeat the Americans and the Afghan government, not negotiate with them. Agha, the former Taliban leader, said little progress was likely unless an impartial mediator emerged who could break down the lack of trust in Doha. “If not,” he said, “I don’t think the next round of talks will end with a positive result.” Some analysts fear an even more ominous outcome. Torek Farhadi, a former Afghan government adviser, said, “One thing is clear: Without a settlement, we are headed for a civil war.”

What to know as troubled Afghan peace talks enter a new phase

A radio journalist in Afghanistan was shot dead on Friday. He is the fifth media worker to be killed in two months. Officials said that Besmullah Adel Aimaq, editor-in-chief of Voice of Ghor radio, in a car ambush in Ghor province.

He was travelling to Firor Koh city, the capital of Ghor province, said Aref Aber, the governor's spokesman. No group has yet claimed responsibility for Aimaq's murder.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, a group working for the security of journalists in the violence-wracked country, confirmed the incident.

Many prominent Afghans have been ambushed and killed in recent months.

It comes weeks after the December 12 killing of Rahmatullah Nekzad, who was shot dead with a silenced pistol near his home in the restive eastern city of Ghazni.

Two Taliban inmates who were freed ahead of peace talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government have been arrested in connection with Nekzad's murder, Afghanistan's spy agency the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said late on Thursday.

About 5,000 Taliban inmates were released last year as part of a contentious prisoner swap ahead of the long-delayed peace talks that finally commenced on September 12.

The NDS said that after their release the two Taliban inmates joined a "terrorist group" in Ghazni which has carried out several assassinations.

The two, who have confessed to their crimes, had also assassinated a judge and two government employees, the agency said. 
The Taliban had denied responsibility for the murder of Nekzad.

(With AFP inputs)

A radio journalist in Afghanistan was shot dead on Friday. He is the fifth media worker to be killed in two months. Officials said that Besmullah Adel Aimaq, editor-in-chief of Voice of Ghor radio, in a car ambush in Ghor province.

A radio journalist in Afghanistan was shot dead on Friday. He is the fifth media worker to be killed in two months. Officials said that Besmullah Adel Aimaq, editor-in-chief of Voice of Ghor radio, in a car ambush in Ghor province. He was travelling to Firor Koh city, the capital of Ghor province, said Aref Aber, the governor's spokesman. No group has yet claimed responsibility for Aimaq's murder. The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, a group working for the security of journalists in the violence-wracked country, confirmed the incident. Many prominent Afghans have been ambushed and killed in recent months. It comes weeks after the December 12 killing of Rahmatullah Nekzad, who was shot dead with a silenced pistol near his home in the restive eastern city of Ghazni. Two Taliban inmates who were freed ahead of peace talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government have been arrested in connection with Nekzad's murder, Afghanistan's spy agency the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said late on Thursday. About 5,000 Taliban inmates were released last year as part of a contentious prisoner swap ahead of the long-delayed peace talks that finally commenced on September 12. The NDS said that after their release the two Taliban inmates joined a "terrorist group" in Ghazni which has carried out several assassinations. The two, who have confessed to their crimes, had also assassinated a judge and two government employees, the agency said. The Taliban had denied responsibility for the murder of Nekzad. (With AFP inputs)

Afghanistan: Radio journalist shot dead in Ghor province

Afghanistan's children shudder in harsh winters amid rising violence

Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani has asserted that his country is confronting a fierce psychological war, where repeated attacks on journalists and civil society members are directed at sapping national morale. He spotlighted that the unending bloodbath targeting the core of Afghan society was an attack "on a generation".

"Recent terrorist attacks on media, civil society and political activists and other members of our citizenry are attacks on a generation and on all the values of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The motive (behind the attacks) is to remove stability, trust and to create helplessness among the new generation, particularly women in Afghanistan," Ghani said, as reported by the Afghan news agency TOLO News.

Ghani even took the names of the assassinated people before the cabinet, which included reporters, anchors, activists and doctors. Why the Afghan president has highlighted the threat from targeted killings is because of the conspicuous increase in the number of targeted killings. In less than two months, five journalists and two civil society workers have been killed besides other prominent civilians.

Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said that a group of 100 people under the Taliban`s command is involved in the targeted killings in cities across Afghanistan.

Arian said: "The Taliban have ordered them to be part of the targeted killings." He added: "the 17 members of this terrorist network, who were recently arrested by the security forces? have confessed that they are part of the group of 100."

The targeted killings are happening at a time when the government is holding peace talks, also called the intra-Afghan talks, with the Taliban, and other Afghan groups under the supervision of the US.

However, despite its commitment to abjure violence, the Taliban has stepped up attacks across the country against both civilian and non-civilian targets with a view to gain an upper hand in the intra-Afghan talks.

This is a view endorsed by Amir Gul, a member of the Afghan parliament. Gul says: "The terror that is happening now is connected to the Taliban. (The Taliban) are always doing something to gain more over there (in negotiations)." The Taliban has, however, denied responsibility over the attacks.

Most of the targeted killings have been carried out through magnetic bombs, roadside mine blasts and gun attacks.

Barely a fortnight back, UN Special Representative Deborah Lyons had highlighted the "unrelenting violence" in Afghanistan before a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council. Providing detailed statistics about the security situation in the country, Lyons said: "? In the third quarter of 2020, child casualties rose 25 per cent over the previous three months, while attacks against schools in the same period increased four-fold. In the first 11 months of 2020, targeted killings by anti-government elements rose by nearly 40 per cent compared to the same period in 2019."

Last week, the Voice of America reported that there has been a "string of mostly unclaimed recent attacks against prominent civilians." It added: "The violence has claimed the lives of dozens of people, particularly in the Afghan capital. The victims include civil society activists, journalists, politicians and government officials."

The targeted killings have left journalists and many other civilian people in fear and uncertainty as they are not sure where the country is heading. The interior affairs ministry has made a number of arrests related to the various killings. Though the Afghan interior ministry has made many arrests, not all agencies or groups behind the attacks have been identified.

TOLO news says that the interior affairs ministry has arrested three people for the attack on Yama Siawash, the anchor for TOLO news, while one has been arrested for the murder of Elyas Daee, a reporter for Radio Azadi.

In the other cases, a person has been identified for the death of Rahmatullah Nekzad, a freelance reporter, while two have been arrested for the attack on Freshta Kohistani, a civil society activist.

Investigation into the killing of Fardin Amini, Ariana News presenter, is underway while two suspects have been arrested for the killing of Malala Maiwand, a reporter in Jalalabad.

For the second time in a row, the Global Peace Index has ranked Afghanistan as the least peaceful country in the world. The targeted killings only point out to that gruesome situation in the South Asian country ravaged by internecine fighting.

Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani has asserted that his country is confronting a fierce psychological war, where repeated attacks on journalists and civil society members are directed at sapping national morale.

Afghanistans President Ashraf Ghani has asserted that his country is confronting a fierce psychological war, where repeated attacks on journalists and civil society members are directed at sapping national morale. He spotlighted that the unending bloodbath targeting the core of Afghan society was an attack "on a generation". "Recent terrorist attacks on media, civil society and political activists and other members of our citizenry are attacks on a generation and on all the values of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The motive (behind the attacks) is to remove stability, trust and to create helplessness among the new generation, particularly women in Afghanistan," Ghani said, as reported by the Afghan news agency TOLO News. Ghani even took the names of the assassinated people before the cabinet, which included reporters, anchors, activists and doctors. Why the Afghan president has highlighted the threat from targeted killings is because of the conspicuous increase in the number of targeted killings. In less than two months, five journalists and two civil society workers have been killed besides other prominent civilians. Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, said that a group of 100 people under the Taliban`s command is involved in the targeted killings in cities across Afghanistan. Arian said: "The Taliban have ordered them to be part of the targeted killings." He added: "the 17 members of this terrorist network, who were recently arrested by the security forces? have confessed that they are part of the group of 100." The targeted killings are happening at a time when the government is holding peace talks, also called the intra-Afghan talks, with the Taliban, and other Afghan groups under the supervision of the US. However, despite its commitment to abjure violence, the Taliban has stepped up attacks across the country against both civilian and non-civilian targets with a view to gain an upper hand in the intra-Afghan talks. This is a view endorsed by Amir Gul, a member of the Afghan parliament. Gul says: "The terror that is happening now is connected to the Taliban. (The Taliban) are always doing something to gain more over there (in negotiations)." The Taliban has, however, denied responsibility over the attacks. Most of the targeted killings have been carried out through magnetic bombs, roadside mine blasts and gun attacks. Barely a fortnight back, UN Special Representative Deborah Lyons had highlighted the "unrelenting violence" in Afghanistan before a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council. Providing detailed statistics about the security situation in the country, Lyons said: "? In the third quarter of 2020, child casualties rose 25 per cent over the previous three months, while attacks against schools in the same period increased four-fold. In the first 11 months of 2020, targeted killings by anti-government elements rose by nearly 40 per cent compared to the same period in 2019." Last week, the Voice of America reported that there has been a "string of mostly unclaimed recent attacks against prominent civilians." It added: "The violence has claimed the lives of dozens of people, particularly in the Afghan capital. The victims include civil society activists, journalists, politicians and government officials." The targeted killings have left journalists and many other civilian people in fear and uncertainty as they are not sure where the country is heading. The interior affairs ministry has made a number of arrests related to the various killings. Though the Afghan interior ministry has made many arrests, not all agencies or groups behind the attacks have been identified. TOLO news says that the interior affairs ministry has arrested three people for the attack on Yama Siawash, the anchor for TOLO news, while one has been arrested for the murder of Elyas Daee, a reporter for Radio Azadi. In the other cases, a person has been identified for the death of Rahmatullah Nekzad, a freelance reporter, while two have been arrested for the attack on Freshta Kohistani, a civil society activist. Investigation into the killing of Fardin Amini, Ariana News presenter, is underway while two suspects have been arrested for the killing of Malala Maiwand, a reporter in Jalalabad. For the second time in a row, the Global Peace Index has ranked Afghanistan as the least peaceful country in the world. The targeted killings only point out to that gruesome situation in the South Asian country ravaged by internecine fighting.

Afghan killing fields: Taliban and its mentors have blood on their hands

China offered to pay non-state actors in Afghanistan to attack American soldiers, a recent report by Axios has stated.

It's being said the Trump administration is declassifying this information as-yet uncorroborated intelligence.

The disclosure comes 21 days before the end of Trump's presidency &nbsp;-- and months after news reports indicated that the Russians had secretly offered bounties for Taliban militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan.

The unconfirmed intelligence was included in the president's briefing on December 17, and the message was conveyed to Trump by National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien.

Administration officials across multiple agencies are currently working to corroborate the initial intelligence reports.

Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund who specializes in China-Afghanistan affairs, told Axios that it seems "incongruous" that China would take such a provocative action in Afghanistan.

Also, one senior official involved in the latest China discussions, who described the uncorroborated intelligence to Axios, said: "Like all first reports, we react with caution to initial reports" but "any intel reports relating to the safety of our forces we take very seriously."

The report further says the interest in Afghanistan stems in part from Beijing's desire to prevent Chinese Muslim separatist groups from using the country as a base.

Trump earlier this year admitted he had not addressed with Vladimir Putin the unconfirmed intelligence reports that Russia had been offering bribes to the Taliban to kill American soldiers. He had even received a lot of criticism for this.

China offered to pay non-state actors in Afghanistan to attack American soldiers, a recent report by Axios has stated. It's being said the Trump administration is declassifying this information as-yet uncorroborated intelligence.

China offered to pay non-state actors in Afghanistan to attack American soldiers, a recent report by Axios has stated. It's being said the Trump administration is declassifying this information as-yet uncorroborated intelligence. The disclosure comes 21 days before the end of Trump's presidency -- and months after news reports indicated that the Russians had secretly offered bounties for Taliban militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan. The unconfirmed intelligence was included in the president's briefing on December 17, and the message was conveyed to Trump by National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien. Administration officials across multiple agencies are currently working to corroborate the initial intelligence reports. Andrew Small, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund who specializes in China-Afghanistan affairs, told Axios that it seems "incongruous" that China would take such a provocative action in Afghanistan. Also, one senior official involved in the latest China discussions, who described the uncorroborated intelligence to Axios, said: "Like all first reports, we react with caution to initial reports" but "any intel reports relating to the safety of our forces we take very seriously." The report further says the interest in Afghanistan stems in part from Beijing's desire to prevent Chinese Muslim separatist groups from using the country as a base. Trump earlier this year admitted he had not addressed with Vladimir Putin the unconfirmed intelligence reports that Russia had been offering bribes to the Taliban to kill American soldiers. He had even received a lot of criticism for this.

China offered bounties to non-state actors in Afghanistan to attack American soldiers, report says

MIR ALI, Afghanistan — On the barren high plains of western Afghanistan, along a roadway south of Herat city, is a collection of sturdy earthen huts known as Qala-e-Biwaha, or “village of widows.”

Most of the village’s men have disappeared — killed while trying to smuggle opium across the desolate frontier into neighboring Iran. The widows have been left to fend for themselves and their children, some of whom have also died while transporting drugs over the border from Herat province’s rugged Adraskan district.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-peace-talks-to-take-place-in-doha-next-month-352763">Afghan peace talks to take place in Doha next month</a>

The area is so destitute that men seeking work here have two choices, said Mohammad Ali Faqiryar, the district governor: “They can smuggle drugs or join the Taliban.”

Those who agree to smuggle opium, heroin and methamphetamines into Iran can earn $300 or more per trip, a fortune for such a poor village. But they risk arrest, prosecution and execution in Iran’s Islamic courts — or being shot and killed by Iranian border guards.

As of 2018, Afghanistan was the world’s largest producer of opium, and poppy is the country’s most lucrative cash crop. The profits fuel the Taliban’s financial networks and for years have undermined sustainable reconstruction and security efforts by the United States and its allies.

Afghan officials seem powerless to stop the trade; many have grown wealthy through their complicity in facilitating the trafficking. What results is an enduring cycle of opium cultivation, processing and trafficking that often leaves Afghanistan’s most vulnerable to bear the dire consequences of the illicit trade.

Faqiryar said he has tried and failed to get government money for programs to help people raise livestock and grow wheat, rice and beans in the arid, unforgiving landscape.

“We get no help from the central government — they don’t care about the people, even if they’re starving,” he said.

The widows survive on food bought with their earnings from the wool-processing trade and on donations from relatives and international aid groups. Some children attend a madrassa, or Islamic school, run by a mullah at a tiny mosque in a nearby settlement. The nearest population center is Herat city, the provincial capital, 45 miles north.

“For a long time, life was very good and my three sons earned a lot of money carrying opium,” said Nek Bibi, a widow who said she was about 50 years old. She spoke outside her dwelling, fashioned from dried packed earth, as a grandchild clung to her robes. “Then they were all killed.”

Her oldest son, Ghulam Rasul, 20, was arrested several years ago and later hanged in Iran after he was convicted of smuggling opium, she said. Three years ago, she said, two more sons — Abdul Ghafoor, 15, and Abdel Zarif, 14 — were shot dead by Iranian border guards as they tried to transport opium from Afghanistan.

Bibi said Iran never returned her sons’ bodies, a complaint shared by other women in the village. “I don’t know if they were buried in Iran or their bodies were just thrown in the desert,” she said.

Her husband, Mohammad Sadeq, recently died of illness, Bibi said, leaving her to care for her sons’ widows and her eight grandchildren. She earns a meager living processing raw wool by hand into fibers for carpet weaving.

These days, the village is whipped by frigid winds that drown out the bleating of sheep in rough pens next to the widows’ huts, which seem to rise up from the dun-colored soil to mimic the shape and texture of the surrounding hills. There is no electricity or running water, and no heat except from the dry brush that families buy or collect to burn. Some widows, like Bibi, light a single bulb at night with power generated during the day by tiny solar panels.

Conditions were so severe this fall that many women fled the village for the homes of relatives or for displaced-person camps run by aid organizations. Until recently, the village was home to 80 widows and their families, said Mohammad Zaman Shakib, the district council’s development director. Today, there are just 30.

“The cold and the hunger drove them away,” Shakib said.

As he spoke, several widows and their children squatted beside their huts, warming themselves in the brittle winter sunshine that emerged after a morning of snow squalls. Most of the women wore long black robes that concealed all but their eyes. Some spoke of leaving the village.

“There’s nothing for us here — we could starve this winter,” said Fatima, who goes by one name and said she was about 40 years old.

Fatima said her husband, Fazel Haq, had struggled to earn a living collecting and selling brush for cooking and heating. Desperate, he accepted an offer to smuggle opium for $200 per trip, she said.

He trafficked drugs for three years until, five years ago, he was shot and killed by Iranian border guards, Fatima said. Now she cares for the couple’s five sons.

The paucity of men in the village has not liberated the women from the harsh confines of Afghanistan’s patriarchal culture. The area around Qala-e-Biwaha is home to several white-bearded men, who interrupted some of the widows and talked over others as they spoke about their hardships.

Herat is one of three western provinces that provide a regular export conduit for drugs, Afghan officials say, with Iran a primary destination for Afghanistan’s opium.

Faqiryar, the governor, said the village emerged as the area’s center of drug trafficking after a local man started an opium smuggling operation there three decades ago. The same man now commands a pro-government militia in Herat, he said.

Drug smuggling in the area is so pervasive that Iran deploys vehicle patrols along the open border with the Adraskan district, the governor said. Yet traffickers, known as quchaqbar, are able to transport enough opium — much of it from Helmand and Farah provinces — into Iran to absorb the loss of drug shipments intercepted along the roughly 135-mile border the province shares with Iran.

As recently as 2016, Iran executed hundreds of people a year, most of them for drug offenses, Amnesty International reported. The pace of drug crime executions has slowed since a 2017 amendment to Iran’s drug law raised the threshold for the death penalty.

The United States spent $8.62 billion on failed counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan from 2002 through 2017, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction concluded in a 2018 report. And yet opium production rose from 3,400 metric tons in 2002 to 9,000 metric tons in 2017.

For the widows’ village and other settlements in Herat province, the war is never far away. The Taliban regularly attack government outposts nearby. Every day, police patrols clear the highway to Herat city of roadside bombs planted by militants at night, Faqiryar said.

Recently, he said, a small border outpost was shut down by the government after it was attacked and damaged — not by the Taliban, but by drug traffickers aligned with the militants to clear the way for trafficking.

So the widows endure, most of them earning a pittance in the wool-processing trade, which leaves their hands calloused and discolored. As they struggle to raise their children, many fear their sons will follow their dead fathers into the drug trafficking business.

“I won’t let them — they’ll be killed just like their father,” Fatima said of her five sons. “I would forbid it, even if it meant we starved to death.” 
&nbsp;

MIR ALI, Afghanistan — On the barren high plains of western Afghanistan, along a roadway south of Herat city, is a collection of sturdy earthen huts known as Qala-e-Biwaha, or “village of widows.

MIR ALI, Afghanistan — On the barren high plains of western Afghanistan, along a roadway south of Herat city, is a collection of sturdy earthen huts known as Qala-e-Biwaha, or “village of widows.” Most of the village’s men have disappeared — killed while trying to smuggle opium across the desolate frontier into neighboring Iran. The widows have been left to fend for themselves and their children, some of whom have also died while transporting drugs over the border from Herat province’s rugged Adraskan district. Also read | Afghan peace talks to take place in Doha next month The area is so destitute that men seeking work here have two choices, said Mohammad Ali Faqiryar, the district governor: “They can smuggle drugs or join the Taliban.” Those who agree to smuggle opium, heroin and methamphetamines into Iran can earn $300 or more per trip, a fortune for such a poor village. But they risk arrest, prosecution and execution in Iran’s Islamic courts — or being shot and killed by Iranian border guards. As of 2018, Afghanistan was the world’s largest producer of opium, and poppy is the country’s most lucrative cash crop. The profits fuel the Taliban’s financial networks and for years have undermined sustainable reconstruction and security efforts by the United States and its allies. Afghan officials seem powerless to stop the trade; many have grown wealthy through their complicity in facilitating the trafficking. What results is an enduring cycle of opium cultivation, processing and trafficking that often leaves Afghanistan’s most vulnerable to bear the dire consequences of the illicit trade. Faqiryar said he has tried and failed to get government money for programs to help people raise livestock and grow wheat, rice and beans in the arid, unforgiving landscape. “We get no help from the central government — they don’t care about the people, even if they’re starving,” he said. The widows survive on food bought with their earnings from the wool-processing trade and on donations from relatives and international aid groups. Some children attend a madrassa, or Islamic school, run by a mullah at a tiny mosque in a nearby settlement. The nearest population center is Herat city, the provincial capital, 45 miles north. “For a long time, life was very good and my three sons earned a lot of money carrying opium,” said Nek Bibi, a widow who said she was about 50 years old. She spoke outside her dwelling, fashioned from dried packed earth, as a grandchild clung to her robes. “Then they were all killed.” Her oldest son, Ghulam Rasul, 20, was arrested several years ago and later hanged in Iran after he was convicted of smuggling opium, she said. Three years ago, she said, two more sons — Abdul Ghafoor, 15, and Abdel Zarif, 14 — were shot dead by Iranian border guards as they tried to transport opium from Afghanistan. Bibi said Iran never returned her sons’ bodies, a complaint shared by other women in the village. “I don’t know if they were buried in Iran or their bodies were just thrown in the desert,” she said. Her husband, Mohammad Sadeq, recently died of illness, Bibi said, leaving her to care for her sons’ widows and her eight grandchildren. She earns a meager living processing raw wool by hand into fibers for carpet weaving. These days, the village is whipped by frigid winds that drown out the bleating of sheep in rough pens next to the widows’ huts, which seem to rise up from the dun-colored soil to mimic the shape and texture of the surrounding hills. There is no electricity or running water, and no heat except from the dry brush that families buy or collect to burn. Some widows, like Bibi, light a single bulb at night with power generated during the day by tiny solar panels. Conditions were so severe this fall that many women fled the village for the homes of relatives or for displaced-person camps run by aid organizations. Until recently, the village was home to 80 widows and their families, said Mohammad Zaman Shakib, the district council’s development director. Today, there are just 30. “The cold and the hunger drove them away,” Shakib said. As he spoke, several widows and their children squatted beside their huts, warming themselves in the brittle winter sunshine that emerged after a morning of snow squalls. Most of the women wore long black robes that concealed all but their eyes. Some spoke of leaving the village. “There’s nothing for us here — we could starve this winter,” said Fatima, who goes by one name and said she was about 40 years old. Fatima said her husband, Fazel Haq, had struggled to earn a living collecting and selling brush for cooking and heating. Desperate, he accepted an offer to smuggle opium for $200 per trip, she said. He trafficked drugs for three years until, five years ago, he was shot and killed by Iranian border guards, Fatima said. Now she cares for the couple’s five sons. The paucity of men in the village has not liberated the women from the harsh confines of Afghanistan’s patriarchal culture. The area around Qala-e-Biwaha is home to several white-bearded men, who interrupted some of the widows and talked over others as they spoke about their hardships. Herat is one of three western provinces that provide a regular export conduit for drugs, Afghan officials say, with Iran a primary destination for Afghanistan’s opium. Faqiryar, the governor, said the village emerged as the area’s center of drug trafficking after a local man started an opium smuggling operation there three decades ago. The same man now commands a pro-government militia in Herat, he said. Drug smuggling in the area is so pervasive that Iran deploys vehicle patrols along the open border with the Adraskan district, the governor said. Yet traffickers, known as quchaqbar, are able to transport enough opium — much of it from Helmand and Farah provinces — into Iran to absorb the loss of drug shipments intercepted along the roughly 135-mile border the province shares with Iran. As recently as 2016, Iran executed hundreds of people a year, most of them for drug offenses, Amnesty International reported. The pace of drug crime executions has slowed since a 2017 amendment to Iran’s drug law raised the threshold for the death penalty. The United States spent $8.62 billion on failed counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan from 2002 through 2017, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction concluded in a 2018 report. And yet opium production rose from 3,400 metric tons in 2002 to 9,000 metric tons in 2017. For the widows’ village and other settlements in Herat province, the war is never far away. The Taliban regularly attack government outposts nearby. Every day, police patrols clear the highway to Herat city of roadside bombs planted by militants at night, Faqiryar said. Recently, he said, a small border outpost was shut down by the government after it was attacked and damaged — not by the Taliban, but by drug traffickers aligned with the militants to clear the way for trafficking. So the widows endure, most of them earning a pittance in the wool-processing trade, which leaves their hands calloused and discolored. As they struggle to raise their children, many fear their sons will follow their dead fathers into the drug trafficking business. “I won’t let them — they’ll be killed just like their father,” Fatima said of her five sons. “I would forbid it, even if it meant we starved to death.”

In a village of widows, the opium trade has taken a deadly toll

Have you heard of the ISI? Pakistan calls it an Intelligence wing. In reality, it is a death squad. The ISI has been linked to 5000+ disappearances in Balochistan, mysterious deaths in Western countries, the murder of an Indian diplomat, and the plot to assassinate of an Afghan President. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you all you need about the hit squad.

Gravitas Plus: Pakistan's high-profile assassins

Have you heard of the ISI? Pakistan calls it an Intelligence wing. In reality, it is a death squad. The ISI has been linked to 5000+ disappearances in Balochistan, mysterious deaths in Western countries, the murder of an Indian ambassador, and the plot to assassinate of an Afghan President. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you all you need about the hit squad.

Despite Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's calls for Afghan peace talks to be moved home, the next roundof negotiations are set to take place in Qatar, said AFP quoting a top official on Sunday. The talks are likely to begin next month. The peace talks began at a luxury hotel in Doha on September 12 but negotiations are currently on a break until January 5.

"The second round of talks will begin on January 5 in Doha," said Faraidoon Khwazoon, spokesman for Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, which is leading the overall peace process in the country.

"The leadership committee of the council ... decided to hold the talks in Doha," he tweeted, adding that many of the countries that had earlier volunteered to host the talks withdrew their offers because of Covid-19.

The Afghan presidency tweeted in a separate statement that Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah who heads the council, held a meeting on Sunday.

The statement said that both of them discussed the next venue of talks.

Negotiators from both sides decided to take a break in early December after months of discussions that were bogged down by disputes on the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations.

"It is not appropriate to insist on holding talks in luxurious hotels. It is necessary that the people see how the talks happen, which issues are focused on and why," Ghani said soon after the break in talks was announced.

The Taliban did not comment on Ghani's call, but they have in the past always refused to hold the negotiations in Afghanistan.

The insurgent group has a political office in Doha and its negotiating team resides there.

The talks follow a landmark troop withdrawal deal signed in February by the Taliban and Washington, which will see all foreign soldiers leave the violence-wracked country by May next year.

(With AFP inputs)

Despite Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's calls for Afghan peace talks to be moved home, the next roundof negotiations are set to take place in Qatar, said AFP quoting a top official on Sunday.

Despite Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's calls for Afghan peace talks to be moved home, the next roundof negotiations are set to take place in Qatar, said AFP quoting a top official on Sunday. The talks are likely to begin next month. The peace talks began at a luxury hotel in Doha on September 12 but negotiations are currently on a break until January 5. "The second round of talks will begin on January 5 in Doha," said Faraidoon Khwazoon, spokesman for Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, which is leading the overall peace process in the country. "The leadership committee of the council ... decided to hold the talks in Doha," he tweeted, adding that many of the countries that had earlier volunteered to host the talks withdrew their offers because of Covid-19. The Afghan presidency tweeted in a separate statement that Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah who heads the council, held a meeting on Sunday. The statement said that both of them discussed the next venue of talks. Negotiators from both sides decided to take a break in early December after months of discussions that were bogged down by disputes on the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations. "It is not appropriate to insist on holding talks in luxurious hotels. It is necessary that the people see how the talks happen, which issues are focused on and why," Ghani said soon after the break in talks was announced. The Taliban did not comment on Ghani's call, but they have in the past always refused to hold the negotiations in Afghanistan. The insurgent group has a political office in Doha and its negotiating team resides there. The talks follow a landmark troop withdrawal deal signed in February by the Taliban and Washington, which will see all foreign soldiers leave the violence-wracked country by May next year. (With AFP inputs)

Afghan peace talks to take place in Doha next month

Two Afghan policemen were killed as three separate "sticky bombs" exploded in Kabul on Saturday, the latest violence to hit the Afghan capital.

The policemen were killed when a sticky bomb attached to their pick-up truck exploded in a central district of Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters.

A civilian was also wounded in the blast, he said.

Two security personnel were wounded in another similar bomb attack targeting a second police pick-up truck in a western district of Kabul, Faramarz said.

He said a third bomb also exploded in the city but caused no casualties.

In recent months, Kabul and several other provinces of Afghanistan have been rocked by deadly violence, including bombings, rocket attacks and targeted killings.

Several of these attacks, especially in Kabul, have been claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group.

Journalists, politicians and rights activists have increasingly come under targeted attacks as violence surges in Afghanistan, despite peace talks between the government and the Taliban.

Peace talks that started on September 12 in the Qatari capital Doha are currently on a break until early January. 
&nbsp;

Two Afghan policemen were killed as three separate "sticky bombs" exploded in Kabul on Saturday, the latest violence to hit the Afghan capital. The policemen were killed when a sticky bomb attached to their pick-up truck exploded in a central district of Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters.

Two Afghan policemen were killed as three separate "sticky bombs" exploded in Kabul on Saturday, the latest violence to hit the Afghan capital. The policemen were killed when a sticky bomb attached to their pick-up truck exploded in a central district of Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters. A civilian was also wounded in the blast, he said. Two security personnel were wounded in another similar bomb attack targeting a second police pick-up truck in a western district of Kabul, Faramarz said. He said a third bomb also exploded in the city but caused no casualties. In recent months, Kabul and several other provinces of Afghanistan have been rocked by deadly violence, including bombings, rocket attacks and targeted killings. Several of these attacks, especially in Kabul, have been claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group. Journalists, politicians and rights activists have increasingly come under targeted attacks as violence surges in Afghanistan, despite peace talks between the government and the Taliban. Peace talks that started on September 12 in the Qatari capital Doha are currently on a break until early January.

Two Afghan policemen killed as Kabul hit by bomb blasts

As many as seven Taliban terrorists were killed in Chomtal district of Afghanistan's Balkh province in an airstrike on Friday.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Afghanistan said that a cache of weapons and ammunition were also destroyed during the strikes.

"7 Taliban were killed in Chomtal district of #Balkh province as a result of an airstrike, today morning. Additionally, 5 others were wounded and a large amount of their weapons and ammunition were destroyed," Ministry of Defence, Afghanistan tweeted.

The MoD also informed about the killing of eight other Taliban terrorists in Bala Bolok district of Farah province.

"8 Taliban terrorists were killed and 3 others were wounded in Bala Bolok district of #Farah province, last night. Also, a large amount of their weapons and ammunition were destroyed during reciprocal attacks of #ANA," MoD said in another tweet.

After a series of videos surfaced showing Taliban leaders continuing their terror activities in Pakistan, Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that the presence of Taliban leaders in Pakistan "clearly violates Afghanistan's national sovereignty".

Afghanistan has also urged Islamabad "not to allow its territory to be used by insurgents and elements who insist on continuing the war and bloodshed".

The official statement was released after "a series of video footages emerged in which the Taliban appeared among their followers, disclosing the existence of all Taliban leaders in Pakistan and acknowledging their continued activities in Pakistani territory".

The ministry expressed "deepest regret" over some Taliban leaders being seen in the videos visiting training camps.&nbsp;

Also, an explosion took place in the Pul-e-Sokhta area of Kabul's PD6 on Thursday morning, injuring three people.

No fatalities have so far been reported.&nbsp;The explosion took place just after a blast in the Chaman-e-Hozoori area in Kabul.

(with inputs)

As many as seven Taliban terrorists were killed in Chomtal district of Afghanistan's Balkh province in an airstrike on Friday. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Afghanistan said that a cache of weapons and ammunition were also destroyed during the strikes.

As many as seven Taliban terrorists were killed in Chomtal district of Afghanistan's Balkh province in an airstrike on Friday. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Afghanistan said that a cache of weapons and ammunition were also destroyed during the strikes. "7 Taliban were killed in Chomtal district of #Balkh province as a result of an airstrike, today morning. Additionally, 5 others were wounded and a large amount of their weapons and ammunition were destroyed," Ministry of Defence, Afghanistan tweeted. The MoD also informed about the killing of eight other Taliban terrorists in Bala Bolok district of Farah province. "8 Taliban terrorists were killed and 3 others were wounded in Bala Bolok district of #Farah province, last night. Also, a large amount of their weapons and ammunition were destroyed during reciprocal attacks of #ANA," MoD said in another tweet. After a series of videos surfaced showing Taliban leaders continuing their terror activities in Pakistan, Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that the presence of Taliban leaders in Pakistan "clearly violates Afghanistan's national sovereignty". Afghanistan has also urged Islamabad "not to allow its territory to be used by insurgents and elements who insist on continuing the war and bloodshed". The official statement was released after "a series of video footages emerged in which the Taliban appeared among their followers, disclosing the existence of all Taliban leaders in Pakistan and acknowledging their continued activities in Pakistani territory". The ministry expressed "deepest regret" over some Taliban leaders being seen in the videos visiting training camps. Also, an explosion took place in the Pul-e-Sokhta area of Kabul's PD6 on Thursday morning, injuring three people. No fatalities have so far been reported. The explosion took place just after a blast in the Chaman-e-Hozoori area in Kabul. (with inputs)

Seven Taliban terrorists killed in airstrike in Afghanistan's Balkh province

Two Afghan policemen were killed in blasts in Kabul on Saturday. The policemen were killed when a sticky bomb attached to their pick-up truck exploded in a central district of Kabul, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters.

A women's rights activist was shot dead in Afghanistan on Thursday along with her brother, officials said as a series of assassinations continue in the country.&nbsp;

Unidentified gunmen on a motorbike shot dead Freshta Kohistani in Kohistan district of Kapisa province, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters, as reported by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-election-activist-dies-after-rush-hour-kabul-ambush-351843">Afghan election activist dies after rush-hour Kabul ambush</a>

The 29-year-old was the second activist killed in two days after a well-known pro-democracy campaigner was gunned down in Kabul on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gunmen-murder-journalist-in-afghanistans-ghazni-351432">Gunmen murder journalist in Afghanistan's Ghazni</a>

The killings of prominent personalities in recent weeks follow a similar pattern in which shootings took place in broad daylight.&nbsp;

Kapisa provincial governor Abdul Latif Murad said that the incident happened near Kohistani's house and her brother also lost his life in the attack.&nbsp;

No group has come forward so far to take responsibility.&nbsp;

Abdullah Abdullah, who was supported by Kohistani during last year's presidential election, described the incident as a "terrorist attack".

He also called her a "brave and fearless" activist in a Facebook post and said the "continuation of such assassinations is unacceptable". &nbsp;

Days ago, Kohistani asked the authorities to provide her with security as she was facing death threats and also condemned the continuous assassinations of journalists and other prominent people.&nbsp;

A women's rights activist was shot dead in Afghanistan on Thursday along with her brother, officials said as a series of assassinations continue in the country. Unidentified gunmen on a motorbike shot dead Freshta Kohistani in Kohistan district of Kapisa province, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters, as reported by news agency AFP.

A women's rights activist was shot dead in Afghanistan on Thursday along with her brother, officials said as a series of assassinations continue in the country. Unidentified gunmen on a motorbike shot dead Freshta Kohistani in Kohistan district of Kapisa province, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters, as reported by news agency AFP. Also read | Afghan election activist dies after rush-hour Kabul ambush The 29-year-old was the second activist killed in two days after a well-known pro-democracy campaigner was gunned down in Kabul on Wednesday. Also read | Gunmen murder journalist in Afghanistan's Ghazni The killings of prominent personalities in recent weeks follow a similar pattern in which shootings took place in broad daylight. Kapisa provincial governor Abdul Latif Murad said that the incident happened near Kohistani's house and her brother also lost his life in the attack. No group has come forward so far to take responsibility. Abdullah Abdullah, who was supported by Kohistani during last year's presidential election, described the incident as a "terrorist attack". He also called her a "brave and fearless" activist in a Facebook post and said the "continuation of such assassinations is unacceptable". Days ago, Kohistani asked the authorities to provide her with security as she was facing death threats and also condemned the continuous assassinations of journalists and other prominent people.

Afghanistan: Women's rights activist shot dead as broad daylight killings continue

Afghanistan has been invited for second India, Uzbekistan, and Iran trilateral meet on the use of the Chabahar port. Earlier this month, the first meet took place at the deputy minister level between the 3 countries. The next meeting will be hosted by India with the dates in the process of finalization.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Shrivastava said, "Afghanistan as a major stakeholder will be invited for the meeting".

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-a-400-billion-china-iran-deal-where-does-it-leave-the-chabahar-project-313096/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Chabahar has been a key connectivity project by India towards its west and has been providing connectivity via Iran to Afghanistan and beyond. India built the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar as part of the India, Iran, Afghanistan 2016 agreement.

In December 2018, an Indian company India Ports Global Limited took over the port operations and as of August of 2020, the port has handled 12 lakhs tons of cargo and 82000 containers. In fact, India used the port to send 75000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan as part of the humanitarian aid amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

The proposal for India, Uzbekistan, and Iran trilateral was put across by Uzbekistan, which is a doubly landlocked country and is keen on several connectivity projects. And it is just not Uzbekistan, but other Central Asian countries have shown interest in using the port, built with the help of New Delhi.

The development is seen as an important shot in the arm for India's connectivity plans in the west of it, where often Pakistan has been playing an obstructionist role. India sees the Chabahar port as a fulcrum of connectivity in the region, and even the US gave an exemption to the project from Iran sanctions since it not only provided humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan but also economic alternatives.

Afghanistan has been invited for second India, Uzbekistan, and Iran trilateral meet on the use of the Chabahar port. Earlier this month, the first meet took place at the deputy minister level between the 3 countries.

Afghanistan has been invited for second India, Uzbekistan, and Iran trilateral meet on the use of the Chabahar port. Earlier this month, the first meet took place at the deputy minister level between the 3 countries. The next meeting will be hosted by India with the dates in the process of finalization. Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Shrivastava said, "Afghanistan as a major stakeholder will be invited for the meeting". Watch | Chabahar has been a key connectivity project by India towards its west and has been providing connectivity via Iran to Afghanistan and beyond. India built the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar as part of the India, Iran, Afghanistan 2016 agreement. In December 2018, an Indian company India Ports Global Limited took over the port operations and as of August of 2020, the port has handled 12 lakhs tons of cargo and 82000 containers. In fact, India used the port to send 75000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan as part of the humanitarian aid amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposal for India, Uzbekistan, and Iran trilateral was put across by Uzbekistan, which is a doubly landlocked country and is keen on several connectivity projects. And it is just not Uzbekistan, but other Central Asian countries have shown interest in using the port, built with the help of New Delhi. The development is seen as an important shot in the arm for India's connectivity plans in the west of it, where often Pakistan has been playing an obstructionist role. India sees the Chabahar port as a fulcrum of connectivity in the region, and even the US gave an exemption to the project from Iran sanctions since it not only provided humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan but also economic alternatives.

Afghanistan invited for second India, Uzbek, Iran trilateral meet on Chabahar

The reporter was killed while walking from his home to a nearby mosque on Monday. The shooters used a pistol equipped with a silencer to gun down Nekzad

Afghan journalist Rahmatullah Nekzad killed near his home

&nbsp;

A group of gunmen attacked a journalist in Afghanistan's eastern city&nbsp;Ghazni on Monday, making him the third targeted journalist in the last two months.

Rahmatullah Nekzad was travelling towards a nearby mosque when he was chased and shot by a group of gunmen who used a&nbsp;silenced pistol,&nbsp;Ghazni province police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seerat told AFP.

Nekzad was a freelance reporter in his 40s who was known for his coverage on the prevailing threats posed by various terrorist groups in the violence-ridden country.

"AJSC strongly condemns the serial killing of Afghan journalists," the&nbsp;Afghan Journalists Safety Committee paid their tribute to the murdered journalist on Twitter.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
(1/2) Another <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/journalist?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#journalist</a> killed today. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahmatullahNekzad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahmatullahNekzad</a> worked for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AP</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aljazeera?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Aljazeera</a> was shot dead in front of his house this evening. AJSC strongly condemns the serial killing of Afghan journalists <a href="https://twitter.com/UNAMAnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNAMAnews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EUinAfghanistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EUinAfghanistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SwedeninAF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SwedeninAF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/USEmbassyKabul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USEmbassyKabul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/forfreemedia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@forfreemedia</a> <a href="https://t.co/YBRi8Ryi9Y">pic.twitter.com/YBRi8Ryi9Y</a>
— AJSC (Afghan Journalists Safety Committee) (@ajsc_afg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajsc_afg/status/1341013947063947268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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While no group has claimed responsibility for the murder, the Taliban has denied any participation in this attack.

His murder comes a few days after&nbsp;female news anchor and activist Malalai Maiwand was shot dead, along with her driver, in&nbsp;Jalalabad by Islamic State group.&nbsp;Radio Liberty reporter Aliyas Dayee, too, was murdered by a car bomb in&nbsp;the&nbsp;southern Lashkar Gah city.

Urging the government to intervene and ensure security of the journalists, AJSC said, "AJSC calls on the Afghan govt to take serious measures towards #protection of #journalists and urges Afghanistan's international partners including the #UN to assist with identifying the perpetrators and ensuring justice."

A group of gunmen attacked a journalist in Afghanistan's eastern city Ghazni on Monday, making him the third targeted journalist in the last two months. Rahmatullah Nekzad was travelling towards a nearby mosque when he was chased and shot by a group of gunmen who used a silenced pistol, Ghazni province police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seerat told AFP.

A group of gunmen attacked a journalist in Afghanistan's eastern city Ghazni on Monday, making him the third targeted journalist in the last two months. Rahmatullah Nekzad was travelling towards a nearby mosque when he was chased and shot by a group of gunmen who used a silenced pistol, Ghazni province police spokesman Ahmad Khan Seerat told AFP. Nekzad was a freelance reporter in his 40s who was known for his coverage on the prevailing threats posed by various terrorist groups in the violence-ridden country. "AJSC strongly condemns the serial killing of Afghan journalists," the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee paid their tribute to the murdered journalist on Twitter. (1/2) Another #Afghan #journalist killed today. #RahmatullahNekzad worked for #AP & #Aljazeera was shot dead in front of his house this evening. AJSC strongly condemns the serial killing of Afghan journalists @UNAMAnews @EUinAfghanistan @SwedeninAF @USEmbassyKabul @forfreemedia pic.twitter.com/YBRi8Ryi9Y — AJSC (Afghan Journalists Safety Committee) (@ajsc_afg) December 21, 2020 × While no group has claimed responsibility for the murder, the Taliban has denied any participation in this attack. His murder comes a few days after female news anchor and activist Malalai Maiwand was shot dead, along with her driver, in Jalalabad by Islamic State group. Radio Liberty reporter Aliyas Dayee, too, was murdered by a car bomb in the southern Lashkar Gah city. Urging the government to intervene and ensure security of the journalists, AJSC said, "AJSC calls on the Afghan govt to take serious measures towards #protection of #journalists and urges Afghanistan's international partners including the #UN to assist with identifying the perpetrators and ensuring justice."

Gunmen murder journalist in Afghanistan's Ghazni

A car bombing in Kabul targeting an Afghan lawmaker killed at least nine people, officials said.

Lawmaker Khan Mohammad Wardak survived the blast but is among 20 injured including women and children, Afghan Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi said.

It is unclear whether the explosive was planted in a car parked on the lawmaker's route or if a vehicle with the bomb was being driven by a bomber, Andarabi added.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Afghanistan has seen a sharp rise in violence, particularly bombings, in recent weeks as the Afghan government and Taliban hold talks to find an end to the country's almost 20-year-long war.

Separate bombings were also reported on Sunday in the provinces of Logar, Nangarhar, Helmand and Badakhshan, in which a number of civilians and security forces members were killed and injured.

On Friday, a suspected rickshaw bomb blast killed at least 15 civilians, including 11 children, in central Ghazni province.

The Afghan interior ministry in a statement said that the Taliban had killed 487 civilians and injured 1,049 others by carrying out 35 suicide attacks and 507 blasts in across the country over the past three months.

A car bombing in Kabul targeting an Afghan lawmaker killed at least nine people, officials said. Lawmaker Khan Mohammad Wardak survived the blast but is among 20 injured including women and children, Afghan Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi said.

A car bombing in Kabul targeting an Afghan lawmaker killed at least nine people, officials said. Lawmaker Khan Mohammad Wardak survived the blast but is among 20 injured including women and children, Afghan Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi said. It is unclear whether the explosive was planted in a car parked on the lawmaker's route or if a vehicle with the bomb was being driven by a bomber, Andarabi added. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast. Afghanistan has seen a sharp rise in violence, particularly bombings, in recent weeks as the Afghan government and Taliban hold talks to find an end to the country's almost 20-year-long war. Separate bombings were also reported on Sunday in the provinces of Logar, Nangarhar, Helmand and Badakhshan, in which a number of civilians and security forces members were killed and injured. On Friday, a suspected rickshaw bomb blast killed at least 15 civilians, including 11 children, in central Ghazni province. The Afghan interior ministry in a statement said that the Taliban had killed 487 civilians and injured 1,049 others by carrying out 35 suicide attacks and 507 blasts in across the country over the past three months.

Nine dead as Kabul car bombing targets Afghan lawmaker

A major US air base north of Kabul was targetted in a rocket attack on Saturday.

Five rockets were fired at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province at 6:00 am. According to NATO and Afghan officials, however, there were no casualties or damage to the airfield.

As many as 12 rockets were mounted on a vehicle and five of them were fired at the base, while police defused the other seven.

"Rockets were fired towards Bagram Airfield this morning. Initial reporting is there were no casualties and the airfield was not damaged," a NATO official told AFP.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Taliban denied any involvement.

Saturday's rocket attack targeting the airfield came a day after 15 children were killed when an explosives-laden motorbike blew up near a religious gathering in the eastern province of Ghazni.

Afghan officials blamed the Taliban for the blast.

In recent months, IS has claimed several assaults in Kabul, including two rocket attacks that struck several residential areas in the capital, causing fatalities.

Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months despite the government and the Taliban launching peace talks to end the country's grinding war.

A major US air base north of Kabul was targetted in a rocket attack on Saturday. Five rockets were fired at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province at 6:00 am. According to NATO and Afghan officials, however, there were no casualties or damage to the airfield.

A major US air base north of Kabul was targetted in a rocket attack on Saturday. Five rockets were fired at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province at 6:00 am. According to NATO and Afghan officials, however, there were no casualties or damage to the airfield. As many as 12 rockets were mounted on a vehicle and five of them were fired at the base, while police defused the other seven. "Rockets were fired towards Bagram Airfield this morning. Initial reporting is there were no casualties and the airfield was not damaged," a NATO official told AFP. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Taliban denied any involvement. Saturday's rocket attack targeting the airfield came a day after 15 children were killed when an explosives-laden motorbike blew up near a religious gathering in the eastern province of Ghazni. Afghan officials blamed the Taliban for the blast. In recent months, IS has claimed several assaults in Kabul, including two rocket attacks that struck several residential areas in the capital, causing fatalities. Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months despite the government and the Taliban launching peace talks to end the country's grinding war.

Several rockets fired at US air base in Afghanistan

At least 15 children have been killed&nbsp;in a motorbike bomb blast in east Afghanistan on Friday, officials confirmed.&nbsp;

The motorbike was loaded with explosives and was parked near a house in Agho Jan village in Gelan district where several people came to attend a Quran recitation ceremony, the Interior Affairs Ministry's spokesman Tariq Arian was quoted as saying by TOLO News.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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The spokesperson also earlier said that at least 15 people were killed in the blast with 20 others being injured.&nbsp;

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Later, provincial governor's spokesman Waheedullah Jumazada said that at least 15&nbsp;people have lost their lives in the blast as reported by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

"Unfortunately, as a result of this incident 15 people, all children, were martyred," he said.

Afghan police also confirmed the death toll of children and said that 20 others have been wounded.

The government forces and Taliban have regularly clashed with each other in the Ghazni province.

Last month, 30 security personnel were killed after a suicide car bomber blew up at an army base near Ghazni city.&nbsp;

Despite a deal signed by the US and Taliban and amid the ongoing intra-Afghan negotiations, the country has been regularly hit by bomb blasts.

The government has blamed the Taliban for many of these attacks.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

At least 15 children have been killed in a motorbike bomb blast in east Afghanistan on Friday, officials confirmed. The motorbike was loaded with explosives and was parked near a house in Agho Jan village in Gelan district where several people came to attend a Quran recitation ceremony, the Interior Affairs Ministry's spokesman Tariq Arian was quoted as saying by TOLO News.

At least 15 children have been killed in a motorbike bomb blast in east Afghanistan on Friday, officials confirmed. The motorbike was loaded with explosives and was parked near a house in Agho Jan village in Gelan district where several people came to attend a Quran recitation ceremony, the Interior Affairs Ministry's spokesman Tariq Arian was quoted as saying by TOLO News. Watch | The spokesperson also earlier said that at least 15 people were killed in the blast with 20 others being injured. Also read | Afghanistan, counter-terror top focus by PM Modi at India-Uzbekistan virtual summit Later, provincial governor's spokesman Waheedullah Jumazada said that at least 15 people have lost their lives in the blast as reported by news agency AFP. "Unfortunately, as a result of this incident 15 people, all children, were martyred," he said. Afghan police also confirmed the death toll of children and said that 20 others have been wounded. The government forces and Taliban have regularly clashed with each other in the Ghazni province. Last month, 30 security personnel were killed after a suicide car bomber blew up at an army base near Ghazni city. Despite a deal signed by the US and Taliban and amid the ongoing intra-Afghan negotiations, the country has been regularly hit by bomb blasts. The government has blamed the Taliban for many of these attacks.

At least 15 children killed in motorbike bomb blast in Afghanistan

The top U.S. general met Taliban representatives this week in Qatar, urging them to reduce the level of violence and move more swiftly towards a political solution in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Thursday.

Top US general meets Taliban in Qatar, calls for reduced violence

The triple threat of conflict, climate change and COVID-19 is driving the crises in nearly all Emergency Watchlist countries, threatening famine in several in 2021.

These countries face the biggest humanitarian crisis in year 2021

Kabul's Deputy Governor Mahboobullah Mohebi and his secretary have been killed in a IED blast that rocked Afghan capital Kabul. Two of their bodyguards have also been injured.

News Alert: Kabul Deputy Governor killed as IED blast rocked Afghan capital Kabul

Here's a new story of women empowerment, a radio station run by a women journalist called Merman Radio in Afghanistan wins an International press award. The radio station raises voice on women's' rights and talks about education, health, domestic violence, and other topics which generally not raised by male journalists, said a presenter.

Radio station run by women for women in Afghanistan

It's a bizarre world where nothing is impossible. If anyone had told us last year that year 2020 will see the whole world coming to a halt, we wouldn't have believed it. But coronavirus did just that. Given what this year has shown us, it won't be hard to believe that a Taliban terrorist had a 'life insurance policy'

The terrorist in question is Mullah Akhtar Mansour. He was killed in a US drone strike in the year 2016. He had apparently purchased an actual 'life insurance' policy from a private company in Pakistan.

The interesting bit came to light during a terror funding case against Mansour and his absconding accomplices. An anti-terrorism court in Karachi heard from the insurance company which confirmed that the Taliban terrorist had indeed purchased an insurance policy. The revelation was made last year at the hearing of the case filed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Mullah Akhtar Mansour purchased the policy under fake identity.

It appears that Mansour paid IGI General Insurance Limited Pakistani Rs 300,000 before his death on May 21, 2016.

The insurance company presented a cheque of Pakistani Rs 300,000 in the court in order to deposit in government treasury.

Check out: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/top-10-mind-bending-space-discoveries-and-observations-from-2020-349472#do-black-holes-have-hair-349460">Top 10 mind-bending space discoveries and observations from 2020</a>

However, FIA investigators told the company to pay the principal amount along with premiums so that the entire amount could get deposited in the treasury.

The anti-terrorism court judge also sought reports from two private banks, Allied Bank Ltd and Bank Al-Falah, regarding the accounts purportedly obtained and operated by the Afghan Taliban leader and/or his accomplices along with details of the money deposited/transacted through them.

(With ANI inputs)

It's a bizarre world where nothing is impossible. If anyone had told us last year that year 2020 will see the whole world coming to a halt, we wouldn't have believed it.

It's a bizarre world where nothing is impossible. If anyone had told us last year that year 2020 will see the whole world coming to a halt, we wouldn't have believed it. But coronavirus did just that. Given what this year has shown us, it won't be hard to believe that a Taliban terrorist had a 'life insurance policy' The terrorist in question is Mullah Akhtar Mansour. He was killed in a US drone strike in the year 2016. He had apparently purchased an actual 'life insurance' policy from a private company in Pakistan. The interesting bit came to light during a terror funding case against Mansour and his absconding accomplices. An anti-terrorism court in Karachi heard from the insurance company which confirmed that the Taliban terrorist had indeed purchased an insurance policy. The revelation was made last year at the hearing of the case filed by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Mullah Akhtar Mansour purchased the policy under fake identity. It appears that Mansour paid IGI General Insurance Limited Pakistani Rs 300,000 before his death on May 21, 2016. The insurance company presented a cheque of Pakistani Rs 300,000 in the court in order to deposit in government treasury. Check out: Top 10 mind-bending space discoveries and observations from 2020 However, FIA investigators told the company to pay the principal amount along with premiums so that the entire amount could get deposited in the treasury. The anti-terrorism court judge also sought reports from two private banks, Allied Bank Ltd and Bank Al-Falah, regarding the accounts purportedly obtained and operated by the Afghan Taliban leader and/or his accomplices along with details of the money deposited/transacted through them. (With ANI inputs)

This dead Taliban terrorist had purchased an actual 'life insurance policy'

Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in fierce overnight fighting between Afghan forces and militants who attacked multiple checkpoints in the insurgent bastion of Kandahar.

Taliban militants attacked checkpoints in five districts surrounding the city of Kandahar.

The security forces countered with heavy air and ground assaults, killing 51 terrorists and wounding nine.

Seven members of a family were also killed in an Afghan air strike in one of the districts.

The ministry of defence said it was investigating the incident. &nbsp;

The fighting lasted for several hours through the night, marked with continuous gun battles and heavy bombardments, an AFP correspondent reported from Kandahar.

The Taliban launched a similar offensive in the neighbouring province of Helmand in September that sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing.

That attack, which also targeted the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, prompted the US to call in air strikes to defend Afghan forces.

Since a US-Taliban deal in February, the insurgents have not carried out major attacks on key cities but have launched near-daily assaults against Afghan forces in rural areas.

The surge in violence in recent months comes as the Taliban and Afghan government engage in peace talks.

In recent months, Kabul has seen several deadly attacks claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group, including a rocket attack Saturday that killed one civilian.&nbsp;

On Sunday, a bomb planted on a vehicle killed two civilians in the capital, police said.

The southern province of Kandahar is the birthplace of the hardline Islamist movement, and over the past few weeks militants have launched attacks in districts on the outskirts of the city of Kandahar, the provincial capital. 
&nbsp;

Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in fierce overnight fighting between Afghan forces and militants who attacked multiple checkpoints in the insurgent bastion of Kandahar.

Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in fierce overnight fighting between Afghan forces and militants who attacked multiple checkpoints in the insurgent bastion of Kandahar. Taliban militants attacked checkpoints in five districts surrounding the city of Kandahar. The security forces countered with heavy air and ground assaults, killing 51 terrorists and wounding nine. Seven members of a family were also killed in an Afghan air strike in one of the districts. The ministry of defence said it was investigating the incident. The fighting lasted for several hours through the night, marked with continuous gun battles and heavy bombardments, an AFP correspondent reported from Kandahar. The Taliban launched a similar offensive in the neighbouring province of Helmand in September that sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing. That attack, which also targeted the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, prompted the US to call in air strikes to defend Afghan forces. Since a US-Taliban deal in February, the insurgents have not carried out major attacks on key cities but have launched near-daily assaults against Afghan forces in rural areas. The surge in violence in recent months comes as the Taliban and Afghan government engage in peace talks. In recent months, Kabul has seen several deadly attacks claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group, including a rocket attack Saturday that killed one civilian. On Sunday, a bomb planted on a vehicle killed two civilians in the capital, police said. The southern province of Kandahar is the birthplace of the hardline Islamist movement, and over the past few weeks militants have launched attacks in districts on the outskirts of the city of Kandahar, the provincial capital.

Several Taliban militants killed as fighting rocks insurgent bastion

Peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government held in Qatar will be paused until January 5, both sides said on Saturday.

The insurgents and the Kabul side both tweeted they had exchanged "preliminary lists of agenda items for the inter-Afghan talks and held introductory discussions on the topics" to be covered when the meetings restart.

Javid Faisal, an adviser to Afghanistan's National Security Council, confirmed a "couple of weeks" pause, adding that Kabul was keen for the next round of negotiations to be held in Afghanistan.

"Bring talks home, the important proposal of the Afghan government to the Taliban," he tweeted.&nbsp;

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Bring talks home, the important proposal of the Afghan government to the Taliban. Peace talks between Afghans should be held within Afghanistan (anywhere the Taliban pick) and impacted by the Afghan realities than being affected by foreigners and the conditions outside. <a href="https://t.co/zkaPwBgVzE">https://t.co/zkaPwBgVzE</a>
— Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Javidfaisal/status/1337689428869967872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Peace talks between Afghans should be held within Afghanistan (anywhere the Taliban pick) and impacted by the Afghan realities," he said, rather than "being affected by foreigners and the conditions outside".

The meetings, which began in September, had until recently been bogged down by disputes on the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/multiple-rockets-hit-kabul-one-killed-349204" hreflang="en">Multiple rockets hit Kabul, one killed</a>

But earlier this month, both sides announced they were ready to proceed after a period of concerted diplomatic effort that saw outgoing United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visit both teams.

The breakthrough was heralded by the US as an "initial major step".

"Since the agenda items need further consultations, the two sides agreed for a recess and to resume the 2nd round of talks on January 5, 2021," tweeted Afghan government negotiator Nader Nadery.

Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem tweeted an almost identical statement, but added that from December 14, there would be "consultations" on the agenda items.

The warring sides have been engaging directly for the first time in talks following a landmark troop withdrawal deal signed in February by the insurgents and Washington.

The US agreed to withdraw all foreign forces by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees and a Taliban pledge to hold talks with Kabul.

Despite the talks, there has been a surge of violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks.

Since signing the deal with Washington, the insurgents have launched near daily attacks against Afghan forces, primarily in rural areas.

Peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government held in Qatar will be paused until January 5, both sides said on Saturday. The insurgents and the Kabul side both tweeted they had exchanged "preliminary lists of agenda items for the inter-Afghan talks and held introductory discussions on the topics" to be covered when the meetings restart.

Peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government held in Qatar will be paused until January 5, both sides said on Saturday. The insurgents and the Kabul side both tweeted they had exchanged "preliminary lists of agenda items for the inter-Afghan talks and held introductory discussions on the topics" to be covered when the meetings restart. Javid Faisal, an adviser to Afghanistan's National Security Council, confirmed a "couple of weeks" pause, adding that Kabul was keen for the next round of negotiations to be held in Afghanistan. "Bring talks home, the important proposal of the Afghan government to the Taliban," he tweeted. Bring talks home, the important proposal of the Afghan government to the Taliban. Peace talks between Afghans should be held within Afghanistan (anywhere the Taliban pick) and impacted by the Afghan realities than being affected by foreigners and the conditions outside. https://t.co/zkaPwBgVzE — Javid Faisal (@Javidfaisal) December 12, 2020 × "Peace talks between Afghans should be held within Afghanistan (anywhere the Taliban pick) and impacted by the Afghan realities," he said, rather than "being affected by foreigners and the conditions outside". The meetings, which began in September, had until recently been bogged down by disputes on the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations. Also read| Multiple rockets hit Kabul, one killed But earlier this month, both sides announced they were ready to proceed after a period of concerted diplomatic effort that saw outgoing United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visit both teams. The breakthrough was heralded by the US as an "initial major step". "Since the agenda items need further consultations, the two sides agreed for a recess and to resume the 2nd round of talks on January 5, 2021," tweeted Afghan government negotiator Nader Nadery. Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem tweeted an almost identical statement, but added that from December 14, there would be "consultations" on the agenda items. The warring sides have been engaging directly for the first time in talks following a landmark troop withdrawal deal signed in February by the insurgents and Washington. The US agreed to withdraw all foreign forces by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees and a Taliban pledge to hold talks with Kabul. Despite the talks, there has been a surge of violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks. Since signing the deal with Washington, the insurgents have launched near daily attacks against Afghan forces, primarily in rural areas.

Afghanistan talks paused until New Year

A series of rockets struck the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing one person and wounding another.

This is the second such attack to rock Kabul in less than a month.

"Four rockets were fired from Labe Jar neighbourhood of Kabul," interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters, adding that two landed near Kabul airport.

He said one person was killed and another wounded.

Kabul police confirmed the early morning attack, saying most of the rockets struck the eastern part of the capital.

On November 21, eight people were killed when 23 rockets slammed Kabul in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

A series of rockets struck the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing one person and wounding another. This is the second such attack to rock Kabul in less than a month.

A series of rockets struck the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing one person and wounding another. This is the second such attack to rock Kabul in less than a month. "Four rockets were fired from Labe Jar neighbourhood of Kabul," interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters, adding that two landed near Kabul airport. He said one person was killed and another wounded. Kabul police confirmed the early morning attack, saying most of the rockets struck the eastern part of the capital. On November 21, eight people were killed when 23 rockets slammed Kabul in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Multiple rockets hit Kabul, one killed

Multiple rocket attacks have rocked the Afghan capital Kabul. According to the interior ministry 1 person has been killed in the rocket attack and another person has been injured.

News Alert: Multiple rocket attacks rocked Kabul, 1 person dead and 1 wounded

India has highlighted the violence committed by the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan at the United Nations even has it has reiterated its call for a ceasefire. The comments come even as the past few weeks have witnessed a spate of attacks in the country including rocket attacks.

Speaking at United Nations General Assembly, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu said, It is important to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan caused by the violence committed by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Peace process and violence cannot go hand in hand, and we call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. "

This year saw a number of developments in Afghanistan, including a pact between the Taliban and the US and the start of intra Afghan talks between the Taliban and the Afghan govt. The development comes even as the US is eager to remove its troops from the country, which is seen as an opportunity by Islamabad to increase its influence in Kabul.

In the speech, pointing at Pakistan, Nagaraj Naidu listed out the "artificial and political obstacles of non-permit of full transit rights to Afghanistan" hindering its trade with India.

He said," It is important for Afghanistan to have access to high seas for a prosperous future. The international community should work towards removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan and ensure all transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements without any hindrance"

India in the aftermath of the fall of the Taliban in 2001 has committed over $ 3 billion towards development, reconstruction and capacity building of the country. Both countries recently concluded an agreement for building the Shatoot dam which will provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents capital Kabul city. New Delhi will also launch Phase-IV of High Impact Community Development Projects in Afghanistan, which includes around 150 projects worth US$ 80 million.

India has highlighted the violence committed by the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan at the United Nations even has it has reiterated its call for a ceasefire.

India has highlighted the violence committed by the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan at the United Nations even has it has reiterated its call for a ceasefire. The comments come even as the past few weeks have witnessed a spate of attacks in the country including rocket attacks. Speaking at United Nations General Assembly, India's Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu said, It is important to address the threat to the security and stability of Afghanistan caused by the violence committed by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Peace process and violence cannot go hand in hand, and we call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. " This year saw a number of developments in Afghanistan, including a pact between the Taliban and the US and the start of intra Afghan talks between the Taliban and the Afghan govt. The development comes even as the US is eager to remove its troops from the country, which is seen as an opportunity by Islamabad to increase its influence in Kabul. In the speech, pointing at Pakistan, Nagaraj Naidu listed out the "artificial and political obstacles of non-permit of full transit rights to Afghanistan" hindering its trade with India. He said," It is important for Afghanistan to have access to high seas for a prosperous future. The international community should work towards removal of artificial transit barriers imposed on Afghanistan and ensure all transit rights guaranteed to Afghanistan under bilateral and multilateral transit agreements without any hindrance" India in the aftermath of the fall of the Taliban in 2001 has committed over $ 3 billion towards development, reconstruction and capacity building of the country. Both countries recently concluded an agreement for building the Shatoot dam which will provide safe drinking water to 2 million residents capital Kabul city. New Delhi will also launch Phase-IV of High Impact Community Development Projects in Afghanistan, which includes around 150 projects worth US$ 80 million.

India highlights violence committed by Taliban in Afghanistan at UN; reiterates calls for a ceasefire

A day after TV journalist Malalai Maiwand was killed by gunmen in Afghanistan, reports claimed another journalist Fardin Amini was killed in an attack on Friday.

WION Fineprint: Journalist Fardin Amini killed in Afghanistan

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News Alert: Kabul Deputy Governor killed as IED blast rocked Afghan capital Kabul

Radio station run by women for women in Afghanistan

This dead Taliban terrorist had purchased an actual 'life insurance policy'

Several Taliban militants killed as fighting rocks insurgent bastion