Suicide bombers hit a large demonstration by members of Afghanistan&#39;s Hazara minority in Kabul today, killing at least 80&nbsp;people and wounding at least 231, officials said. 
 
Graphic television footage from the site of the blasts showed many dead bodies lying on the bloodied road, close to where thousands of Hazara had been demonstrating over the route of a planned multimillion dollar power line. 
 
The Afghan public&nbsp;health ministry says&nbsp;at least 80&nbsp;dead and 231&nbsp;wounded had been taken to nearby hospitals, but the numbers may change. It was not immediately clear how many bombs were involved in the attack, but an eyewitness WION spoke to claims he heard three distinct blasts. 
 
Afghan President condemns attack&nbsp; 
 
Thousands of demonstrators had gathered to demand that a multi-million-dollar power line pass through their electricity-starved province of Bamiyan, one of the most deprived areas of Afghanistan with a large Hazara population. 
 
In a statement, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was &quot;deeply saddened&quot; by the carnage, adding that the casualties included security officials. 
 
&quot;Peaceful protest is the right of every citizen, but opportunist terrorists infiltrated the crowds and carried out the attack, killing and injuring a number of citizens including some security forces.&quot; 
 
&quot;The horrific attack on a group of peaceful protesters in Kabul demonstrates the utter disregard that armed groups have for human life,&quot; Amnesty International further said&nbsp;in a statement. 
 
&quot;Such attacks are a reminder that the conflict in Afghanistan is not winding down, as some believe, but escalating, with consequences for the human rights situation in the country that should alarm us all,&quot; Ghani said. 
 
Pakistan condemns blasts, expresses deep grief 
 
Pakistan&#39;s&nbsp;Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday said&nbsp;in a statement that &quot;Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist acts in Kabul&quot;. 
 
&quot;The government and the people of Pakistan extend their sincere condolences and profound sympathies to the families of the bereaved people and convey their earnest prayers and wishes for early recovery of those injured in this heinous act of terrorism,&quot; it said.? 
 
The protest march was largely peaceful before the explosion struck as the demonstrators sought to march on the presidential palace, waving flags and chanting slogans such as &quot;death to discrimination&quot;. 
 
Emergency vehicles were at the site and wounded were being carried away. 
 
Much of the city centre had been sealed off with stacks of shipping containers and other obstacles as the march began earlier today, and security was tight with helicopters patrolling overhead. 
 
Islamic&nbsp;State&nbsp;reportedly&nbsp;claimed the&nbsp;responsibility for the blasts, which came some three weeks after a suicide bomber killed dozens of people in an attack on newly graduated police cadets that was claimed by the Taliban. 
 
Hazaras have long suffered discrimination&nbsp; 
 
Rereouting of&nbsp;500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul&nbsp;through two provinces with large Hazara populations, government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years. 
 
The Persian-speaking Hazara, a mainly Shia group estimated to make up about 9 per cent of the population, are Afghanistan&#39;s third-largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination. Thousands were killed under Taliban rule. 
 
The protest by a group whose leaders include members of the national unity government had put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani, who has faced growing opposition from both inside and outside the government. 
 
It also risked exacerbating ethnic tensions with other groups and provinces the government says would have to wait up to three years for power if the route were changed. 
 
The transmission line, intended to provide secure electricity to 10 provinces is part of the so-called TUTAP project backed by the Asia Development Bank, linking energy-rich states of Central Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
Hazaras say they want the line to come through Bamyan and Wardak provinces, west of Kabul, where many Hazaras live, to ensure their power supply.&nbsp;The government says the project already guarantees ample power to the two provinces and denies it disadvantages Hazara people. 
 
Under current plans, due to be implemented by 2018, the line will pass from a converter station in the northern town of Pul-e Khumri to Kabul through the mountainous Salang pass. 
 
An earlier plan foresaw a longer route from Pul-e Khumri through Bamyan and Wardak, but this option was dropped.&nbsp; 
 
Eyewitness talks to WION&nbsp;

A&nbsp;demonstrator&nbsp;Ejaz Malikzada&nbsp;spoke to WION over the phone after the incident and confirmed that the protests were largely peaceful. 
 
He is the one who&nbsp;claimed that at least three explosions rocked the demonstrations.&nbsp;In a series of posts on microblogging site Twitter, he shared some videos capturing the ensuing choas.

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<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
Dead and injured bodies in the scene of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explosion?src=hash">#explosion</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulBlast?src=hash">#KabulBlast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kabulprotest?src=hash">#kabulprotest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> <a href="https://t.co/YTLmzxsL7R">pic.twitter.com/YTLmzxsL7R</a>
&mdash; Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) <a href="https://twitter.com/EjazMalikzada/status/756818495116087296">July 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://t.co/jxRNrrsLg9">pic.twitter.com/jxRNrrsLg9</a>
&mdash; Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) <a href="https://twitter.com/EjazMalikzada/status/756794660769726465">July 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
Scene of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/explosion?src=hash">#explosion</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KabulBlast?src=hash">#KabulBlast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kabulprotest?src=hash">#kabulprotest</a> <a href="https://t.co/wi7sRIOrtG">pic.twitter.com/wi7sRIOrtG</a>
&mdash; Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) <a href="https://twitter.com/EjazMalikzada/status/756818692978204672">July 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

 
(Reuters, AFP and WION)&nbsp;

Islamic State claimed responsibility of the blast at the protest site where thousands of minority Hazaras had gathered

Suicide bombers hit a large demonstration by members of Afghanistan's Hazara minority in Kabul today, killing at least 80 people and wounding at least 231, officials said. Graphic television footage from the site of the blasts showed many dead bodies lying on the bloodied road, close to where thousands of Hazara had been demonstrating over the route of a planned multimillion dollar power line. The Afghan public health ministry says at least 80 dead and 231 wounded had been taken to nearby hospitals, but the numbers may change. It was not immediately clear how many bombs were involved in the attack, but an eyewitness WION spoke to claims he heard three distinct blasts. Afghan President condemns attack Thousands of demonstrators had gathered to demand that a multi-million-dollar power line pass through their electricity-starved province of Bamiyan, one of the most deprived areas of Afghanistan with a large Hazara population. In a statement, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was "deeply saddened" by the carnage, adding that the casualties included security officials. "Peaceful protest is the right of every citizen, but opportunist terrorists infiltrated the crowds and carried out the attack, killing and injuring a number of citizens including some security forces." "The horrific attack on a group of peaceful protesters in Kabul demonstrates the utter disregard that armed groups have for human life," Amnesty International further said in a statement. "Such attacks are a reminder that the conflict in Afghanistan is not winding down, as some believe, but escalating, with consequences for the human rights situation in the country that should alarm us all," Ghani said. Pakistan condemns blasts, expresses deep grief Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday said in a statement that "Pakistan strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist acts in Kabul". "The government and the people of Pakistan extend their sincere condolences and profound sympathies to the families of the bereaved people and convey their earnest prayers and wishes for early recovery of those injured in this heinous act of terrorism," it said.? The protest march was largely peaceful before the explosion struck as the demonstrators sought to march on the presidential palace, waving flags and chanting slogans such as "death to discrimination". Emergency vehicles were at the site and wounded were being carried away. Much of the city centre had been sealed off with stacks of shipping containers and other obstacles as the march began earlier today, and security was tight with helicopters patrolling overhead. Islamic State reportedly claimed the responsibility for the blasts, which came some three weeks after a suicide bomber killed dozens of people in an attack on newly graduated police cadets that was claimed by the Taliban. Hazaras have long suffered discrimination Rereouting of 500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul through two provinces with large Hazara populations, government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years. The Persian-speaking Hazara, a mainly Shia group estimated to make up about 9 per cent of the population, are Afghanistan's third-largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination. Thousands were killed under Taliban rule. The protest by a group whose leaders include members of the national unity government had put pressure on President Ashraf Ghani, who has faced growing opposition from both inside and outside the government. It also risked exacerbating ethnic tensions with other groups and provinces the government says would have to wait up to three years for power if the route were changed. The transmission line, intended to provide secure electricity to 10 provinces is part of the so-called TUTAP project backed by the Asia Development Bank, linking energy-rich states of Central Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hazaras say they want the line to come through Bamyan and Wardak provinces, west of Kabul, where many Hazaras live, to ensure their power supply. The government says the project already guarantees ample power to the two provinces and denies it disadvantages Hazara people. Under current plans, due to be implemented by 2018, the line will pass from a converter station in the northern town of Pul-e Khumri to Kabul through the mountainous Salang pass. An earlier plan foresaw a longer route from Pul-e Khumri through Bamyan and Wardak, but this option was dropped. Eyewitness talks to WION A demonstrator Ejaz Malikzada spoke to WION over the phone after the incident and confirmed that the protests were largely peaceful. He is the one who claimed that at least three explosions rocked the demonstrations. In a series of posts on microblogging site Twitter, he shared some videos capturing the ensuing choas. Dead and injured bodies in the scene of #explosion. #KabulBlast #kabulprotest #Afghanistan #Kabul pic.twitter.com/YTLmzxsL7R — Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) July 23, 2016 pic.twitter.com/jxRNrrsLg9 — Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) July 23, 2016 Scene of the #explosion. #KabulBlast #kabulprotest pic.twitter.com/wi7sRIOrtG — Ejaz Malikzada (@EjazMalikzada) July 23, 2016 (Reuters, AFP and WION)

At least 80 killed, more than 231 injured in suicide bomb attack in Kabul

Thousands of people from Afghanistan&#39;s Hazara minority demonstrated in the capital Kabul today to demand changes to the route of a planned multi-million dollar power transmission line. 
 
The demonstrators are demanding that the 500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul be re-routed through two provinces with large Hazara populations, an option the government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years. 
 
Waving Afghan flags and chanting slogans like &quot;Justice! Justice!&quot; and &quot;Death to discrimination!&quot;, demonstrators gathered near Kabul University, several kilometres from the main government area, which police sealed off. 
 
Security was tight and helicopters patrolled overhead but there was no sign of trouble as the protest began. 
 
The transmission line, intended to provide secure electricity to 10 provinces is part of a project backed by the Asia Development Bank aimed at linking energy-rich states of Central Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
 
Hazaras say they want the transmission line to come through their area because that would ensure their power supply. 
 
Only 30 per cent of country connected to electricity system&nbsp; 
 
The government says the project already guarantees ample power to the provinces of Bamyan and Wardak, west of Kabul, where many Hazaras live, and denies accusations that it disadvantages Hazara people, a mainly Shia minority. 
 
Under current plans, due to be implemented by 2018, the line will pass from a converter station in the northern town of Pul-e Khumri to Kabul through the mountainous Salang pass. 
 
An earlier version of the plan foresaw a longer route from Pul-e Khumri through Bamyan and Wardak, but this option was subsequently dropped. 
 
The Persian-speaking Hazara, estimated to make up about 9 per cent of the population, are Afghanistan&#39;s third largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination. Thousands were killed during Taliban rule. 
 
However, they are politically well-organised and several of their leaders are part of President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s delicately balanced national unity government, which has added to the sensitivity surrounding the protests. 
 
&quot;We will not allow them to enjoy their time in palaces while those who voted for them stay in darkness,&quot; said demonstrator Mohammad Ali, 34. 
 
Saturday&#39;s demonstration follows a protest in May, after which Ghani promised a committee of inquiry into the case. That committee, however, recommended sticking with the route through the Salang pass. 
 
Strengthening and expanding Afghanistan&#39;s creaking power network is among the government&#39;s top development priorities as currently only 30 per cent of the country is connected to the electricity system. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Hazaras say they want the transmission line to come through their area because that would ensure their power supply

Thousands of people from Afghanistan's Hazara minority demonstrated in the capital Kabul today to demand changes to the route of a planned multi-million dollar power transmission line. The demonstrators are demanding that the 500 kV transmission line from Turkmenistan to Kabul be re-routed through two provinces with large Hazara populations, an option the government says would cost millions and delay the badly needed project by years. Waving Afghan flags and chanting slogans like "Justice! Justice!" and "Death to discrimination!", demonstrators gathered near Kabul University, several kilometres from the main government area, which police sealed off. Security was tight and helicopters patrolled overhead but there was no sign of trouble as the protest began. The transmission line, intended to provide secure electricity to 10 provinces is part of a project backed by the Asia Development Bank aimed at linking energy-rich states of Central Asia with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hazaras say they want the transmission line to come through their area because that would ensure their power supply. Only 30 per cent of country connected to electricity system The government says the project already guarantees ample power to the provinces of Bamyan and Wardak, west of Kabul, where many Hazaras live, and denies accusations that it disadvantages Hazara people, a mainly Shia minority. Under current plans, due to be implemented by 2018, the line will pass from a converter station in the northern town of Pul-e Khumri to Kabul through the mountainous Salang pass. An earlier version of the plan foresaw a longer route from Pul-e Khumri through Bamyan and Wardak, but this option was subsequently dropped. The Persian-speaking Hazara, estimated to make up about 9 per cent of the population, are Afghanistan's third largest minority but they have long suffered discrimination. Thousands were killed during Taliban rule. However, they are politically well-organised and several of their leaders are part of President Ashraf Ghani's delicately balanced national unity government, which has added to the sensitivity surrounding the protests. "We will not allow them to enjoy their time in palaces while those who voted for them stay in darkness," said demonstrator Mohammad Ali, 34. Saturday's demonstration follows a protest in May, after which Ghani promised a committee of inquiry into the case. That committee, however, recommended sticking with the route through the Salang pass. Strengthening and expanding Afghanistan's creaking power network is among the government's top development priorities as currently only 30 per cent of the country is connected to the electricity system. (Reuters)

Minority Hazaras in Kabul demand changes to planned multi-million dollar power transmission line

The former head of Afghanistan&#39;s main intelligence agency released documents on Thursday which he said showed that Pakistani intelligence services helped leaders of the Taliban and the feared Haqqani network in 2014 and 2015. 
 
Rahmatullah Nabil stepped down from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in December last year after opposing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s efforts to improve relations with Pakistan and include Islamabad in peace talks with the Taliban. 
 
Nabil told a group of journalists in Kabul that he had released the documents to provide concrete evidence of Pakistan&#39;s collusion with the Taliban and the associated Haqqani group, which has been blamed for a series of kidnappings and high profile suicide bombings in the capital. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s foreign office and the army&#39;s media wing did not respond to several written and telephoned requests for comment in which Reuters outlined the accusations levelled against Pakistan. 
 
Neither the NDS nor the Afghan government was available for immediate comment on the letters. 
 
The Afghan Taliban insurgency has in the past said it is fighting against the government and Western allies with the support of the Afghan people, and has no need of outside help. 
 
Nabil did not say how the letters had been obtained. Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity. 
 
Since retiring from the intelligence service, Nabil has been strongly critical of Pakistan, which is routinely accused by Afghanistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, a charge it has consistently denied. 
 
&quot;For the past 14 years, no one has disclosed documents of this kind. Here, I&#39;m proving it,&quot; he told reporters, to whom he released the letters. &quot;They kill us every day and commit all kinds of atrocities, we have to show them.&quot; 
 
One letter, addressed from a section of Pakistan&#39;s military intelligence service in the northwestern city of Peshawar, is headed &#39;Arrangements of Secure Houses and Protection to Afghan Taliban and Their Leadership&#39;. 
 
In the letter, dated August 2014, an official arranges for safe houses and vehicles to be provided for Afghan Taliban commanders forced out of a remote area of northern Pakistan while an army operation is conducted. 
 
Another letter, dated March 2015, requests an update on Haqqani network personnel in Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi, in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 
 
A third letter addressed from the Directorate General Military Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, dated July 2014, is headed &#39;Kabul Airport Attacks and Release of Payments&#39;. 
 
The letter says four members of the Haqqani network are to be paid 2.5 million Pakistani Rupees ($24,000) each for the &quot;successful and comprehensive execution of assault on KB AP&quot;. 
 
Victim of terrorism 
 
Authorities in Islamabad have long rejected accusations that Pakistan has provided support and sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban and its leaders, saying it has for years itself been a victim of terrorism, much of it from groups based in Afghanistan. 
 
The release of the documents comes amid worsening tensions between the neighbouring countries in recent weeks, with days of clashes last month during which troops on the border exchanged artillery fire. 
 
It also came days after Pakistan faced heavy criticism in a Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington. 
 
Afghan President Ghani sharply criticised Pakistan during a visit to a NATO summit in Warsaw last week, and has accused it of conducting an &quot;undeclared war&quot; against Afghanistan. 
 
In response, Islamabad said that Afghanistan was playing a &quot;blame game&quot; instead of cooperating effectively to stop terrorism. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s critics say that it supports Islamist militants in Afghanistan to maintain influence and counter attempts by arch-rival India to gain a foothold, effectively surrounding it. 
 
($1 = 104.7900 Pakistani Rupees) 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Rahmatullah Nabil resigned from the security agency in December after opposing the Afghan President's efforts to improve ties with Pakistan

The former head of Afghanistan's main intelligence agency released documents on Thursday which he said showed that Pakistani intelligence services helped leaders of the Taliban and the feared Haqqani network in 2014 and 2015. Rahmatullah Nabil stepped down from the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in December last year after opposing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's efforts to improve relations with Pakistan and include Islamabad in peace talks with the Taliban. Nabil told a group of journalists in Kabul that he had released the documents to provide concrete evidence of Pakistan's collusion with the Taliban and the associated Haqqani group, which has been blamed for a series of kidnappings and high profile suicide bombings in the capital. Pakistan's foreign office and the army's media wing did not respond to several written and telephoned requests for comment in which Reuters outlined the accusations levelled against Pakistan. Neither the NDS nor the Afghan government was available for immediate comment on the letters. The Afghan Taliban insurgency has in the past said it is fighting against the government and Western allies with the support of the Afghan people, and has no need of outside help. Nabil did not say how the letters had been obtained. Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity. Since retiring from the intelligence service, Nabil has been strongly critical of Pakistan, which is routinely accused by Afghanistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, a charge it has consistently denied. "For the past 14 years, no one has disclosed documents of this kind. Here, I'm proving it," he told reporters, to whom he released the letters. "They kill us every day and commit all kinds of atrocities, we have to show them." One letter, addressed from a section of Pakistan's military intelligence service in the northwestern city of Peshawar, is headed 'Arrangements of Secure Houses and Protection to Afghan Taliban and Their Leadership'. In the letter, dated August 2014, an official arranges for safe houses and vehicles to be provided for Afghan Taliban commanders forced out of a remote area of northern Pakistan while an army operation is conducted. Another letter, dated March 2015, requests an update on Haqqani network personnel in Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi, in the border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A third letter addressed from the Directorate General Military Intelligence, Ministry of Defence, dated July 2014, is headed 'Kabul Airport Attacks and Release of Payments'. The letter says four members of the Haqqani network are to be paid 2.5 million Pakistani Rupees ($24,000) each for the "successful and comprehensive execution of assault on KB AP". Victim of terrorism Authorities in Islamabad have long rejected accusations that Pakistan has provided support and sanctuary for the Afghan Taliban and its leaders, saying it has for years itself been a victim of terrorism, much of it from groups based in Afghanistan. The release of the documents comes amid worsening tensions between the neighbouring countries in recent weeks, with days of clashes last month during which troops on the border exchanged artillery fire. It also came days after Pakistan faced heavy criticism in a Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington. Afghan President Ghani sharply criticised Pakistan during a visit to a NATO summit in Warsaw last week, and has accused it of conducting an "undeclared war" against Afghanistan. In response, Islamabad said that Afghanistan was playing a "blame game" instead of cooperating effectively to stop terrorism. Pakistan's critics say that it supports Islamist militants in Afghanistan to maintain influence and counter attempts by arch-rival India to gain a foothold, effectively surrounding it. ($1 = 104.7900 Pakistani Rupees) (Reuters)

Former Afghan spy chief says letters show Pakistan supports militants

Afghanistan is failing to protect tens of thousands of children, some as young as five, from hazardous jobs that are prohibited by its own laws, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published on Thursday said. 
 
The 31-page report titled &quot;They Bear All the Pain: Hazardous Child Labor in Afghanistan&quot;, documents how child workers undertake dangerous jobs in Afghanistan&#39;s carpet industry, as bonded labour in brick kilns, and as metal workers. 
 
These jobs expose them to high risks of illness, injury and death, HRW said in a statement, and also compel many to leave school prematurely. Only half of children involved in child labour attend school, the report found. 
 
&quot;Thousands of Afghan children risk their health and safety every day to put food on the family table,&quot; said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. 
 
&quot;The Afghan government needs to do a better job of protecting its children &ndash; and the country&rsquo;s future &ndash; by enforcing the law prohibiting dangerous work for children.&quot; 
 
In 2014, the government published a list of 19 hazardous occupations prohibited for children but has &quot;failed to enforce its labour laws through penalties for violators and a strategy to end exploitative labour conditions&quot;, the report said. 
 
It cited numerous case studies including a 13-year-old metal worker in Kabul who told HRW: &quot;My fingers have been cut from the sharp edges of the metal and slammed by the hammer. My finger has also been caught in the trimming-beading machine.&quot; 
 
Afghan labour law allows children between the ages of 15-17 to work if the work is not harmful to them, represents a form of skill training, and doesn&#39;t exceed 35 hours a week, according to Ahmad Shuja, HRW&#39;s representative in Kabul. 
 
But &quot;extreme poverty&quot; often drives child labour in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world with rampant &quot;landlessness, illiteracy, high unemployment rate (nearly 40 per cent in 2016) and continuing armed conflict in much of the country&quot;. 
 
HRW recommended a number of steps including increasing the number of labour inspectors and prioritising the monitoring of hazardous workplaces. 
 
(AFP)

These jobs expose them to high risks of illness, injury and death, HRW said in a statement, and also compel many to leave school prematurely

Afghanistan is failing to protect tens of thousands of children, some as young as five, from hazardous jobs that are prohibited by its own laws, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published on Thursday said. The 31-page report titled "They Bear All the Pain: Hazardous Child Labor in Afghanistan", documents how child workers undertake dangerous jobs in Afghanistan's carpet industry, as bonded labour in brick kilns, and as metal workers. These jobs expose them to high risks of illness, injury and death, HRW said in a statement, and also compel many to leave school prematurely. Only half of children involved in child labour attend school, the report found. "Thousands of Afghan children risk their health and safety every day to put food on the family table," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "The Afghan government needs to do a better job of protecting its children – and the country’s future – by enforcing the law prohibiting dangerous work for children." In 2014, the government published a list of 19 hazardous occupations prohibited for children but has "failed to enforce its labour laws through penalties for violators and a strategy to end exploitative labour conditions", the report said. It cited numerous case studies including a 13-year-old metal worker in Kabul who told HRW: "My fingers have been cut from the sharp edges of the metal and slammed by the hammer. My finger has also been caught in the trimming-beading machine." Afghan labour law allows children between the ages of 15-17 to work if the work is not harmful to them, represents a form of skill training, and doesn't exceed 35 hours a week, according to Ahmad Shuja, HRW's representative in Kabul. But "extreme poverty" often drives child labour in Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world with rampant "landlessness, illiteracy, high unemployment rate (nearly 40 per cent in 2016) and continuing armed conflict in much of the country". HRW recommended a number of steps including increasing the number of labour inspectors and prioritising the monitoring of hazardous workplaces. (AFP)

Rights group slams Afghan government on protection of child workers

US defence secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday for talks with President Ashraf Ghani, days after the United States and NATO pledged to keep thousands of troops in the troubled country. 
 
Carter flew in to Bagram air base outside Kabul, and was due to meet with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in the capital later. 
 
The Pentagon chief&#39;s visit follows a renewed commitment to Afghanistan from NATO, which said over the weekend it would keep forces there at least until the end of 2017. 
 
Most are American, but some 40 countries have deployed troops there. Their official role is to train Afghan forces, who are now responsible for their country&#39;s security. 
 
Despite a massive, nearly 15-year international effort to defeat the Taliban, the resurgent group controls large areas of Afghanistan and have vowed to keep fighting until foreign forces leave. 
 
President Barack Obama, elected eight years ago on a pledge to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been unable to do so given the fragile security situations in both countries. 
 
Last week he dialled back plans to cut US troop numbers in Afghanistan from 9800 to 5500 by the end of the year.&nbsp;Instead, some 8400 US troops will remain, providing training and air support to the Afghans.&nbsp; 
 
Obama has also relaxed rules of engagement, making it easier for US troops to target the Taliban, a move that the head of NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said was in &quot;recognition of the difficulties that we are facing&quot;. 
 
&quot;We can strike the Taliban and disrupt the enemy,&quot; he told reporters in Kabul over the weekend, adding that Obama had granted &quot;all the capabilities that we requested&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Local forces took the lead in providing security in 2015, but are struggling to contain Taliban offensives and prevent attacks from the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. 
 
More than 5000 Afghan security forces were killed last year, and attacks continue. The Taliban claimed responsibility last month for a suicide attack that killed more than 30 Afghan police cadets in Kabul. 
 
Further complicating matters is endemic corruption and allegations of rights abuses. &nbsp;About 13,000 NATO troops, most of whom are American, are currently stationed in Afghanistan under Operation Resolute Support to train and assist Afghan security forces. 
 
NATO has agreed about 12,000 troops will remain in Afghanistan through at least 2017, though in reality local troops are likely to need foreign support and funding for years to come.&nbsp; 
 
In return, NATO is demanding reforms of the Afghan security forces.&nbsp;Carter&#39;s visit followed a brief trip to Baghdad on Monday, where he pledged hundreds of additional US troops to assist Iraqis fighting against the Islamic State group. 
 
(AFP)

The visit comes a week after Obama dialled back plans to cut troops in Afghanistan

US defence secretary Ashton Carter arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday for talks with President Ashraf Ghani, days after the United States and NATO pledged to keep thousands of troops in the troubled country. Carter flew in to Bagram air base outside Kabul, and was due to meet with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in the capital later. The Pentagon chief's visit follows a renewed commitment to Afghanistan from NATO, which said over the weekend it would keep forces there at least until the end of 2017. Most are American, but some 40 countries have deployed troops there. Their official role is to train Afghan forces, who are now responsible for their country's security. Despite a massive, nearly 15-year international effort to defeat the Taliban, the resurgent group controls large areas of Afghanistan and have vowed to keep fighting until foreign forces leave. President Barack Obama, elected eight years ago on a pledge to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been unable to do so given the fragile security situations in both countries. Last week he dialled back plans to cut US troop numbers in Afghanistan from 9800 to 5500 by the end of the year. Instead, some 8400 US troops will remain, providing training and air support to the Afghans. Obama has also relaxed rules of engagement, making it easier for US troops to target the Taliban, a move that the head of NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said was in "recognition of the difficulties that we are facing". "We can strike the Taliban and disrupt the enemy," he told reporters in Kabul over the weekend, adding that Obama had granted "all the capabilities that we requested". Local forces took the lead in providing security in 2015, but are struggling to contain Taliban offensives and prevent attacks from the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. More than 5000 Afghan security forces were killed last year, and attacks continue. The Taliban claimed responsibility last month for a suicide attack that killed more than 30 Afghan police cadets in Kabul. Further complicating matters is endemic corruption and allegations of rights abuses. About 13,000 NATO troops, most of whom are American, are currently stationed in Afghanistan under Operation Resolute Support to train and assist Afghan security forces. NATO has agreed about 12,000 troops will remain in Afghanistan through at least 2017, though in reality local troops are likely to need foreign support and funding for years to come. In return, NATO is demanding reforms of the Afghan security forces. Carter's visit followed a brief trip to Baghdad on Monday, where he pledged hundreds of additional US troops to assist Iraqis fighting against the Islamic State group. (AFP)

Pentagon chief lands in Afghanistan

Afghan forces are suffering rising levels of battlefield casualties this year after unprecedented numbers of police and soldiers were killed and wounded in 2015, the top US commander in Afghanistan said.&nbsp; 
 
US Army General John Nicholson, in some of his first remarks since the United States last week scaled back its withdrawal plans, told a small group of reporters that the rising casualties were largely the result of Taliban attacks on fixed Afghan positions. 
 
&quot;This year, we&#39;re seeing more tactical success (by the Afghans) on the battlefield but more casualties as well,&quot; Nicholson said late on Saturday when asked about how Afghan forces were faring this year compared with 2015. He did not disclose figures. 
 
A spokesman told Reuters today that Nicholson was referring to an increase so far in 2016 compared with the same period in 2015, and noted how fighting was more intense due to the milder winter this year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s when they&#39;re in a defensive posture, such as in checkpoints being overrun, is where the majority of the casualties are occurring,&quot; Nicholson said. 
 
More than 5,000 forces in Afghanistan were killed in action and over 14,000 were wounded in 2015, when the Taliban staged a series of attacks that upended US assumptions about the ability of Afghan forces to secure the country after more than 14 1/2 years of war. 
 
On July 6, US President Barack Obama scrapped plans to slash the number of US forces to 5,500 troops from 9,800 before he leaves office, citing precarious security in Afghanistan. 
 
Obama now plans to leave around 8,400 US troops. 
 
US allies are also renewing their commitments, and NATO agreed on Saturday to help fund Afghan forces to the tune of around $1 billion annually over the next three years. 
 
Nicholson praised Afghan forces for being able to recruit new fighters and carry on, despite the casualty rates. He said their losses could be addressed, including by replicating successful efforts to rapidly reset and retrain Afghan forces in southern Helmand province after their dismal performance last year. 
 
Major General Moeen Faqir, the new commander of the 215th Corps in Helmand, told reporters his casualties were sharply down this year from 2015. 
 
Nicholson also suggested the Afghan Taliban were struggling after the US killed their leader, Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour, in a May drone strike across the border in Pakistan. 
 
Mansour had tight control of Taliban finances, Nicholson said. 
 
&nbsp;&quot;So what we&#39;re seeing are some indications that some of the finances of the organisation have been disrupted,&quot; he said. 
 
Nicholson suggested Mansour&#39;s successor, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, had also alienated some fighters in the past. 
 
&quot;So he&#39;s not a unifying figure within that organisation,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters)

'This year, we're seeing more tactical success (by the Afghans) on the battlefield but more casualties as well,' said US Army General

Afghan forces are suffering rising levels of battlefield casualties this year after unprecedented numbers of police and soldiers were killed and wounded in 2015, the top US commander in Afghanistan said. US Army General John Nicholson, in some of his first remarks since the United States last week scaled back its withdrawal plans, told a small group of reporters that the rising casualties were largely the result of Taliban attacks on fixed Afghan positions. "This year, we're seeing more tactical success (by the Afghans) on the battlefield but more casualties as well," Nicholson said late on Saturday when asked about how Afghan forces were faring this year compared with 2015. He did not disclose figures. A spokesman told Reuters today that Nicholson was referring to an increase so far in 2016 compared with the same period in 2015, and noted how fighting was more intense due to the milder winter this year. "It's when they're in a defensive posture, such as in checkpoints being overrun, is where the majority of the casualties are occurring," Nicholson said. More than 5,000 forces in Afghanistan were killed in action and over 14,000 were wounded in 2015, when the Taliban staged a series of attacks that upended US assumptions about the ability of Afghan forces to secure the country after more than 14 1/2 years of war. On July 6, US President Barack Obama scrapped plans to slash the number of US forces to 5,500 troops from 9,800 before he leaves office, citing precarious security in Afghanistan. Obama now plans to leave around 8,400 US troops. US allies are also renewing their commitments, and NATO agreed on Saturday to help fund Afghan forces to the tune of around $1 billion annually over the next three years. Nicholson praised Afghan forces for being able to recruit new fighters and carry on, despite the casualty rates. He said their losses could be addressed, including by replicating successful efforts to rapidly reset and retrain Afghan forces in southern Helmand province after their dismal performance last year. Major General Moeen Faqir, the new commander of the 215th Corps in Helmand, told reporters his casualties were sharply down this year from 2015. Nicholson also suggested the Afghan Taliban were struggling after the US killed their leader, Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour, in a May drone strike across the border in Pakistan. Mansour had tight control of Taliban finances, Nicholson said. "So what we're seeing are some indications that some of the finances of the organisation have been disrupted," he said. Nicholson suggested Mansour's successor, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, had also alienated some fighters in the past. "So he's not a unifying figure within that organisation," he said. (Reuters)

Afghan forces' casualties climbing in 2016, top US commander says

Australia will pay an extra $300 million to help develop Afghanistan&#39;s security forces, the government said on Friday ahead of a NATO leaders&#39; summit in Warsaw, where tenuous security in Afghanistan will be a central discussion topic. 
 
Australia, a firm US ally in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had originally pledged $500 million from 2010-2017 but will now provide an extra $100 million annually until 2020. 
 
The announcement of extra funding came two days after US President Barack Obama said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan almost in half by the end of the year, instead keeping 8,400 troops there from January. 
 
There are also another 3,000 international troops serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. 
 
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Kabul in January, and the Australian Defence Force announced two months later its troops would remain there for at least another three years. About 270 Australian troops are serving in the NATO-led force. 
 
No senior Australian government members will attend the Warsaw summit, with a cliffhanger nation election a week ago still without a clear result. 
 
The $100 million annual commitment comprises an $80 million contribution to the Afghan National Army and $20 million for the Afghan police. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The announcement came two days after US President said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan

Australia will pay an extra $300 million to help develop Afghanistan's security forces, the government said on Friday ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Warsaw, where tenuous security in Afghanistan will be a central discussion topic. Australia, a firm US ally in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had originally pledged $500 million from 2010-2017 but will now provide an extra $100 million annually until 2020. The announcement of extra funding came two days after US President Barack Obama said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan almost in half by the end of the year, instead keeping 8,400 troops there from January. There are also another 3,000 international troops serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Kabul in January, and the Australian Defence Force announced two months later its troops would remain there for at least another three years. About 270 Australian troops are serving in the NATO-led force. No senior Australian government members will attend the Warsaw summit, with a cliffhanger nation election a week ago still without a clear result. The $100 million annual commitment comprises an $80 million contribution to the Afghan National Army and $20 million for the Afghan police. (Reuters)

Ahead of NATO summit, Australia pledges extra $300 million for Afghan security forces

President Barack Obama&#39;s decision to withdraw roughly 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan won&#39;t adversely impact America&#39;s mission there, a top general said before arriving in Kabul on Friday, adding that some jobs could be done from abroad. 
 
Obama on Wednesday shelved his plans to cut the US force nearly in half by year&#39;s end, from 9,800 to 5,500. He opted instead for a more limited withdrawal to roughly 8,400 troops, noting that Afghan forces still needed US support battling the Taliban insurgency after nearly 15 years of war. 
 
In his first comments since Obama&#39;s announcement, General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military&#39;s Central Command, played down any impact of the looming troop withdrawal even as he acknowledged Afghan forces were suffering heavy casualties. 
 
A recent Pentagon report to Congress said casualties among Afghan forces rose 27 per cent from January 1 to November 15 last year. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult. They are taking a lot of casualties. That is a concern. We&#39;ll have to pay attention to that,&quot; Votel told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But I don&#39;t think the reductions that we are taking are going to impact the principal missions that we are doing, particularly with respect to the Afghan security forces,&quot; he added.&nbsp; 
 
Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent UN estimates. 
 
The Islamic State group has also established a small presence in Afghanistan. 
 
Republican critics of Obama questioned why, given Afghanistan&#39;s security concerns, he was still intent on cutting the force at all. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said it was difficult to discern &quot;any strategic rationale&quot; for the cut. 
 
Votel noted that Obama&#39;s decision to keep 8,400 troops in the country was welcomed by allies, who are expected to broadly reaffirm their commitments to Afghanistan at a NATO summit on Warsaw on Friday and Saturday. 
 
&quot;It sends a very hopeful message here for the coalition and I think it will encourage our partners to continue to contribute,&quot; Votel said. 
 
Votel suggested the drawdown might take place gradually over coming months, with some support for the US forces in Afghanistan being drawn from outside the country. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re going to achieve those reductions by moving some capabilities out that can be conducted over the horizon - that don&rsquo;t necessarily need to be done in Afghanistan - to support the force,&quot; he said, without elaborating.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

According to recent UN estimates, Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion

President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw roughly 1,400 US troops from Afghanistan won't adversely impact America's mission there, a top general said before arriving in Kabul on Friday, adding that some jobs could be done from abroad. Obama on Wednesday shelved his plans to cut the US force nearly in half by year's end, from 9,800 to 5,500. He opted instead for a more limited withdrawal to roughly 8,400 troops, noting that Afghan forces still needed US support battling the Taliban insurgency after nearly 15 years of war. In his first comments since Obama's announcement, General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military's Central Command, played down any impact of the looming troop withdrawal even as he acknowledged Afghan forces were suffering heavy casualties. A recent Pentagon report to Congress said casualties among Afghan forces rose 27 per cent from January 1 to November 15 last year. "It's difficult. They are taking a lot of casualties. That is a concern. We'll have to pay attention to that," Votel told a small group of reporters traveling with him to Afghanistan. "But I don't think the reductions that we are taking are going to impact the principal missions that we are doing, particularly with respect to the Afghan security forces," he added. Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent UN estimates. The Islamic State group has also established a small presence in Afghanistan. Republican critics of Obama questioned why, given Afghanistan's security concerns, he was still intent on cutting the force at all. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain said it was difficult to discern "any strategic rationale" for the cut. Votel noted that Obama's decision to keep 8,400 troops in the country was welcomed by allies, who are expected to broadly reaffirm their commitments to Afghanistan at a NATO summit on Warsaw on Friday and Saturday. "It sends a very hopeful message here for the coalition and I think it will encourage our partners to continue to contribute," Votel said. Votel suggested the drawdown might take place gradually over coming months, with some support for the US forces in Afghanistan being drawn from outside the country. "We're going to achieve those reductions by moving some capabilities out that can be conducted over the horizon - that don’t necessarily need to be done in Afghanistan - to support the force," he said, without elaborating. (Reuters)

'US troop cut won't impact principal missions in Afghanistan'

President Barack Obama on Wednesday said 8,400 US troops will remain in Afghanistan into next year to tackle the threat from a resurgent Taliban.&nbsp;Obama, who was elected in 2008 on a promise to end America&#39;s longest war, had previously vowed to slash the US troop presence from its current level of 9,800 to 5,500 by 2017. 
 
He said a still &quot;precarious&quot; security situation, with Afghan security forces struggling to contain the Taliban, made such a move untenable. 
 
&quot;Instead of going down to 5,500 troops by the end of this year, the United States will maintain approximately 8,400 troops in Afghanistan into next year through the end of my administration,&quot; Obama said. 
 
&quot;It is in our national security interest, especially after all the blood and treasure we&#39;ve invested in Afghanistan over the years, that we give our Afghan partners the very best opportunity to succeed,&quot; he added. 
 
With only a few months left in office, Obama said additional troops would enable his successor to have &quot;a solid foundation for continued progress&quot; in Afghanistan. 
 
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid mocked his announcement.&nbsp;&quot;The more American invaders in Afghanistan, the more casualties they will suffer,&quot; he said on Twitter.&nbsp;&quot;They will certainly be defeated,&quot; he added. &quot;We have good experience in fighting the idiots. We have high morale.&quot; 
 
NATO mission 
 
Most of the US troops, operating under the NATO banner, work as trainers or advisers to Afghan forces. Around 40 NATO members and partner countries currently contribute to the overall force of nearly 13,000. 
 
It was not immediately clear whether Obama&#39;s decision would influence other countries&#39; troop levels, expected to be a central issue at this week&#39;s NATO summit in Poland. 
 
&quot;I welcome @BarackObama&#39;s announcement on troop levels in Afghanistan. A strong signal of our continued commitment,&quot; NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter. 
 
Obama&#39;s announcement effectively acknowledges that Afghan forces, which took charge of the country&#39;s security in 2015, still face massive institutional shortcomings. 
 
They have suffered devastating setbacks at the hands of the Taliban, including the temporary loss of the northern city of Kunduz, and more than 5,000 Afghan troops killed last year alone. 
 
Other organisations, including the Islamic State group, have meanwhile stepped up activity. 
 
&quot;The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,&quot; said Obama, who last month unveiled looser rules making it easier for US forces to strike Taliban targets. 
 
&quot;Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be,&quot; he added. &quot;With our help, they&#39;re still working to improve critical capabilities, such as intelligence, logistics, aviation and command and control.&quot; 
 
Optics and politics 
 
Stephen Biddle, an Afghanistan expert and professor at George Washington University, said adjustments to the comparatively small US troop presence - the Afghans have about 320,000 police and troops - would make little difference to local security capabilities until Afghanistan tackles issues such as deeply entrenched corruption. 
 
&quot;The ability of the Afghans to hold the line is not primarily being shaped by whether there are 9,800 or 8,400 or 5,500 US soldiers,&quot; Biddle told AFP, noting that the troop count is &quot;more about the optics and the politics of this than it is about military capability&quot;. 
 
In particular, the Pentagon needs to maintain a steady troop level to ensure continued Congressional funding for the Afghan cause, Biddle said. 
 
Obama himself acknowledged the solution to the conflict, which has dragged on for 15 years, would not be military alone. 
 
&quot;The only way to end this conflict and to achieve a full drawdown of foreign forces from Afghanistan is through a lasting political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;That is why the United States will continue to strongly support an Afghan-led reconciliation process, and why we call on all countries in the region to end safe havens for militants and terrorists.&quot; 
 
But diplomatic efforts to engage with the Taliban are in disarray. The United States in May killed the group&#39;s leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a drone strike in Pakistan. 
 
Obama&#39;s decision follows a review of the security situation by General John Nicholson, the new commander of the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan. 
 
Republican senator John McCain, a longtime critic of Obama&#39;s military policies, welcomed the move, but said the president should have kept the entire 9,800 US troops in the country.&nbsp;Still, he said, &quot;the decision to retain 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan into next year is certainly preferable to cutting those forces by nearly half.&quot; 
 
US forces have been in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion to oust the Taliban in late 2001.&nbsp;The United States has spent around $1 trillion in total since, and some 2,200 American lives have been lost in the longest war in US history. 
 
(AFP)

Obama himself acknowledged the solution to the conflict, which at 15 years is the longest war in US history, would not be military alone

President Barack Obama on Wednesday said 8,400 US troops will remain in Afghanistan into next year to tackle the threat from a resurgent Taliban. Obama, who was elected in 2008 on a promise to end America's longest war, had previously vowed to slash the US troop presence from its current level of 9,800 to 5,500 by 2017. He said a still "precarious" security situation, with Afghan security forces struggling to contain the Taliban, made such a move untenable. "Instead of going down to 5,500 troops by the end of this year, the United States will maintain approximately 8,400 troops in Afghanistan into next year through the end of my administration," Obama said. "It is in our national security interest, especially after all the blood and treasure we've invested in Afghanistan over the years, that we give our Afghan partners the very best opportunity to succeed," he added. With only a few months left in office, Obama said additional troops would enable his successor to have "a solid foundation for continued progress" in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid mocked his announcement. "The more American invaders in Afghanistan, the more casualties they will suffer," he said on Twitter. "They will certainly be defeated," he added. "We have good experience in fighting the idiots. We have high morale." NATO mission Most of the US troops, operating under the NATO banner, work as trainers or advisers to Afghan forces. Around 40 NATO members and partner countries currently contribute to the overall force of nearly 13,000. It was not immediately clear whether Obama's decision would influence other countries' troop levels, expected to be a central issue at this week's NATO summit in Poland. "I welcome @BarackObama's announcement on troop levels in Afghanistan. A strong signal of our continued commitment," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter. Obama's announcement effectively acknowledges that Afghan forces, which took charge of the country's security in 2015, still face massive institutional shortcomings. They have suffered devastating setbacks at the hands of the Taliban, including the temporary loss of the northern city of Kunduz, and more than 5,000 Afghan troops killed last year alone. Other organisations, including the Islamic State group, have meanwhile stepped up activity. "The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious," said Obama, who last month unveiled looser rules making it easier for US forces to strike Taliban targets. "Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be," he added. "With our help, they're still working to improve critical capabilities, such as intelligence, logistics, aviation and command and control." Optics and politics Stephen Biddle, an Afghanistan expert and professor at George Washington University, said adjustments to the comparatively small US troop presence - the Afghans have about 320,000 police and troops - would make little difference to local security capabilities until Afghanistan tackles issues such as deeply entrenched corruption. "The ability of the Afghans to hold the line is not primarily being shaped by whether there are 9,800 or 8,400 or 5,500 US soldiers," Biddle told AFP, noting that the troop count is "more about the optics and the politics of this than it is about military capability". In particular, the Pentagon needs to maintain a steady troop level to ensure continued Congressional funding for the Afghan cause, Biddle said. Obama himself acknowledged the solution to the conflict, which has dragged on for 15 years, would not be military alone. "The only way to end this conflict and to achieve a full drawdown of foreign forces from Afghanistan is through a lasting political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban," he said. "That is why the United States will continue to strongly support an Afghan-led reconciliation process, and why we call on all countries in the region to end safe havens for militants and terrorists." But diplomatic efforts to engage with the Taliban are in disarray. The United States in May killed the group's leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a drone strike in Pakistan. Obama's decision follows a review of the security situation by General John Nicholson, the new commander of the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan. Republican senator John McCain, a longtime critic of Obama's military policies, welcomed the move, but said the president should have kept the entire 9,800 US troops in the country. Still, he said, "the decision to retain 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan into next year is certainly preferable to cutting those forces by nearly half." US forces have been in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion to oust the Taliban in late 2001. The United States has spent around $1 trillion in total since, and some 2,200 American lives have been lost in the longest war in US history. (AFP)

Obama slows Afghanistan pullout, 8,400 troops to stay

After 15 years of conflict in Afghanistan and no sign of peace, NATO members meeting in Warsaw this week are expected to confirm their support for the Kabul government, aware that they have little alternative if the country is to hold together. 
 
Foreign ministers agreed in May to extend assistance past 2016 and at the summit in the Polish capital on Friday and Saturday, alliance partners are also expected to continue their non-combat training and assistance mission. 
 
Total financial support is expected to be about $5 billion a year to 2020, with the United States, the largest donor, contributing about $3 billion. 
 
&quot;These decisions are very much about demonstrating NATO&#39;s enduring and steadfast commitment to Afghanistan,&quot; Ismail Aramaz, NATO&#39;s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, told a media briefing in Kabul this week. 
 
&quot;Afghanistan will not stand alone.&quot; 
 
The summit comes as President Barack Obama considers whether to go ahead with plans that would see US forces in Afghanistan nearly halved from their current level of 9,800 to 5,500 by the beginning of next year. 
 
&#39;Stable Afghanistan is best guarantee that millitant networks&nbsp;cannot threaten the West&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The Taliban have made major gains since a NATO-led international force ended combat operations at the end of 2014 and now control more territory than at any time since they were driven from power in 2001. 
 
They briefly seized the northern city of Kunduz last year and control much of the southern province of Helmand, the largest source of opium. 
 
However, NATO officials point to signs of progress by Afghan forces. They say a better trained, better equipped force is at least holding its own against the Taliban and is building up air power while steadily improving in key areas from logistics and recruitment to operational planning. 
 
They also say a stable Afghanistan is the best guarantee that militant networks such as al Qaeda or Islamic State cannot re-establish bases to threaten the West and that the uncontrolled flow of migrants to Europe can be slowed. 
 
However, they are also aware that public support cannot be taken for granted and there is pressure to ensure that President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government uses aid effectively, bringing costs down while continuing reforms the West wants to see. 
 
&quot;This is a two-way street,&quot; said Aramaz. 
 
NATO will be looking for &quot;demonstrable signs of continued political stability&quot; and &quot;tangible signs of progress&quot; in areas like women&#39;s rights, counter-corruption, electoral reform, and other human rights, he said. 
 
Afghan leaders must also make sure the security services remain under civilian control and free from political interference, he said. 
 
(Reuters)

Total financial support is expected to be about $5 billion a year to 2020, with the US, the largest donor, contributing about $3 billion

After 15 years of conflict in Afghanistan and no sign of peace, NATO members meeting in Warsaw this week are expected to confirm their support for the Kabul government, aware that they have little alternative if the country is to hold together. Foreign ministers agreed in May to extend assistance past 2016 and at the summit in the Polish capital on Friday and Saturday, alliance partners are also expected to continue their non-combat training and assistance mission. Total financial support is expected to be about $5 billion a year to 2020, with the United States, the largest donor, contributing about $3 billion. "These decisions are very much about demonstrating NATO's enduring and steadfast commitment to Afghanistan," Ismail Aramaz, NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, told a media briefing in Kabul this week. "Afghanistan will not stand alone." The summit comes as President Barack Obama considers whether to go ahead with plans that would see US forces in Afghanistan nearly halved from their current level of 9,800 to 5,500 by the beginning of next year. 'Stable Afghanistan is best guarantee that millitant networks cannot threaten the West' The Taliban have made major gains since a NATO-led international force ended combat operations at the end of 2014 and now control more territory than at any time since they were driven from power in 2001. They briefly seized the northern city of Kunduz last year and control much of the southern province of Helmand, the largest source of opium. However, NATO officials point to signs of progress by Afghan forces. They say a better trained, better equipped force is at least holding its own against the Taliban and is building up air power while steadily improving in key areas from logistics and recruitment to operational planning. They also say a stable Afghanistan is the best guarantee that militant networks such as al Qaeda or Islamic State cannot re-establish bases to threaten the West and that the uncontrolled flow of migrants to Europe can be slowed. However, they are also aware that public support cannot be taken for granted and there is pressure to ensure that President Ashraf Ghani's government uses aid effectively, bringing costs down while continuing reforms the West wants to see. "This is a two-way street," said Aramaz. NATO will be looking for "demonstrable signs of continued political stability" and "tangible signs of progress" in areas like women's rights, counter-corruption, electoral reform, and other human rights, he said. Afghan leaders must also make sure the security services remain under civilian control and free from political interference, he said. (Reuters)

NATO expected to approve support for Afghanistan to hold country together

New Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada on Saturday called on the US to end its &quot;occupation&quot; of Afghanistan in his first message since being appointed the militant group&#39;s chief in May. 
 
&quot;Admit the realities instead of useless use of force and muscle and put an end to the occupation,&quot; Akhundzada said in a speech on the eve of Eid-al-Fitr, the Muslim festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. 
 
&quot;Our message to the American invaders and her allies is this: the Afghan Muslim people neither fear your force nor your stratagem. They consider martyrdom in confrontation with you as a cherished goal of their life,&quot; Akhundzada added. 
 
&quot;You are facing not a group or faction but a nation. You are not going to be a winner (if Allah willing).&quot; 
 
The message is the first by Akhundzada since his predecessor Akhtar Mansour was killed during a US drone strike in neighbouring Pakistan in May. 
 
The leader&#39;s statement comes two days after twin Taliban bomb blasts killed at least 32 Afghan policemen and wounded 78 others on the edge of Kabul. 
 
&quot;Our message to the supporters of the invaders is that it might have been dawned on you during the past 15 years that you are being used for realisation of American goals,&quot; Akhundzada said, adding that &quot;your support and siding with invaders is like the work of those abhorrent faces who in our past history supported the Britons and the Soviets,&quot; he added. 
 
(AFP)

Afghan Muslim people consider martyrdom in confrontation with the US as a cherished goal of their life, Haibatullah Akhundzada said

New Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada on Saturday called on the US to end its "occupation" of Afghanistan in his first message since being appointed the militant group's chief in May. "Admit the realities instead of useless use of force and muscle and put an end to the occupation," Akhundzada said in a speech on the eve of Eid-al-Fitr, the Muslim festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. "Our message to the American invaders and her allies is this: the Afghan Muslim people neither fear your force nor your stratagem. They consider martyrdom in confrontation with you as a cherished goal of their life," Akhundzada added. "You are facing not a group or faction but a nation. You are not going to be a winner (if Allah willing)." The message is the first by Akhundzada since his predecessor Akhtar Mansour was killed during a US drone strike in neighbouring Pakistan in May. The leader's statement comes two days after twin Taliban bomb blasts killed at least 32 Afghan policemen and wounded 78 others on the edge of Kabul. "Our message to the supporters of the invaders is that it might have been dawned on you during the past 15 years that you are being used for realisation of American goals," Akhundzada said, adding that "your support and siding with invaders is like the work of those abhorrent faces who in our past history supported the Britons and the Soviets," he added. (AFP)

New Taliban leader tells US to end Afghan 'occupation' in first message

Two Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 27 police and wounded around 40 in an attack today on buses carrying recently graduated cadets on the western outskirts of Kabul. 
 
A police official said that, according to preliminary information, three buses were attacked as they approached the Afghan capital from neighbouring Wardak province. 
 
&quot;Initial information we have is that two suicide bombers were involved and there are many casualties,&quot; he said, declining to be identified by name. 
 
An interior ministry official said at least 27 people were killed and 40 wounded. 
 
The incident comes 10 days after an attack on a bus carrying Nepali security guards working for the Canadian embassy in Kabul that killed 14 people. 
 
In April, at least 64 people were killed by a Taliban attack on a security services facility in Kabul in the deadliest bombing of its kind in Afghanistan since 2011. 
 
(Reuters)

Three buses carrying recently graduated cadets were attacked by the two bombers as they approached Kabul from Wardak province

Two Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 27 police and wounded around 40 in an attack today on buses carrying recently graduated cadets on the western outskirts of Kabul. A police official said that, according to preliminary information, three buses were attacked as they approached the Afghan capital from neighbouring Wardak province. "Initial information we have is that two suicide bombers were involved and there are many casualties," he said, declining to be identified by name. An interior ministry official said at least 27 people were killed and 40 wounded. The incident comes 10 days after an attack on a bus carrying Nepali security guards working for the Canadian embassy in Kabul that killed 14 people. In April, at least 64 people were killed by a Taliban attack on a security services facility in Kabul in the deadliest bombing of its kind in Afghanistan since 2011. (Reuters)

Taliban suicide bombers kill 27, wound 40 in attack on Afghan police

Over 40 IS militants were killed and around 44 others wounded during clearance operations Afghanistan&#39;s in Eastern Nangarhar province. 
 
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement yesterday said the operations were conducted in Kot district of Nangarhar covering Bandok, Zara Bandok, Jajal Ghondi, Sepa Ghondi, Bahadur Baba villages and its surrounding areas. 
 
The statement said that the hideouts of the terror group were also destroyed and the mentioned areas were cleared from the presence of IS militants. 
 
The Ministry of Defence added that the local residents did not suffer any casualties in the operations. 
 
Earlier the Ministry of Defence had said at least 37 IS loyalists were killed and around 40 others were wounded during the operations launched in response to a major attack launched by the terror group on Friday. 
 
Following the attack, the Afghan and the US forces stepped up raids against the terror group in Nangarhar province. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

The country's Ministry of Defence issued a statement saying that IS hideouts in the region have also been destroyed

Over 40 IS militants were killed and around 44 others wounded during clearance operations Afghanistan's in Eastern Nangarhar province. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement yesterday said the operations were conducted in Kot district of Nangarhar covering Bandok, Zara Bandok, Jajal Ghondi, Sepa Ghondi, Bahadur Baba villages and its surrounding areas. The statement said that the hideouts of the terror group were also destroyed and the mentioned areas were cleared from the presence of IS militants. The Ministry of Defence added that the local residents did not suffer any casualties in the operations. Earlier the Ministry of Defence had said at least 37 IS loyalists were killed and around 40 others were wounded during the operations launched in response to a major attack launched by the terror group on Friday. Following the attack, the Afghan and the US forces stepped up raids against the terror group in Nangarhar province. (ANI)

Over 40 Islamic State fighters killed in clearance raids in Afghanistan's Nangarhar

The US should adopt a policy of &quot;total isolation&quot; against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a &quot;second North Korea&quot; if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. 
 
&quot;In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, this is the time to increase the pressure by suspending all assistance to Pakistan -- military and civilian -- and move towards isolating Pakistan internationally, including not supporting IMF renewal of financial support,&quot; Zalmay Khalilzad, a former top American diplomat in the Bush Administration, told PTI. 
 
Khalilzad, who played a key role America&#39;s policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 terror attack, said the US should adopt a policy of &quot;total isolation&quot; against Pakistan. 
 
Such a policy, he argued would send a signal to Pakistan that it faces the prospect of becoming a &quot;second North Korea&quot; unless it changes its course on Afghanistan. 
 
Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim American in the history of the United States. He was the US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W Bush. 
 
He also served as the US ambassador to Afghanistan and headed the country&#39;s diplomatic mission in Iraq. 
 
&quot;If Pakistan truly changes course, then the US should be willing to be supportive in a significant way. But we have to substantially escalate the cost of Pakistan&#39;s hostile policy in Afghanistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Khalilzad also called for retaining the current level of forces in Afghanistan and more flexible rules of engagement for US forces until the next President reviews the situation in Afghanistan and decides on a new policy. 
 
&quot;While there are some potential risks in isolating Pakistan, there are real risks with continuing the current course in Afghanistan and Pakistan,&quot; he said and called for having a contingency plan to deal with the nuclear scenario risks. 
 
&quot;In fact (US forces) being in Afghanistan would help in addressing such challenges promptly,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;The choice we have made hasn&#39;t really worked for the last 15 years in terms of changing Pakistan&#39;s two-faced policy. The time has come to adjust that policy. In my view a better option is international isolation of Pakistan,&quot; Khalilzad argued. 
 
&quot;The role that Pakistan has played....Is that of a double game. It has signalled on the one hand that it wants to be helpful to the United States in fighting terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan. But on the other hand, in reality, it has been energetically supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network to achieve the very opposite. That has been the essence of the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan,&quot; he said. 
 
Noting that Pakistan&#39;s Afghan policy is determined by the Army and the ISI, Khalilzad said that the reason for such a policy is that they believe that by supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, they can achieve the goal of dominating Afghanistan. 
 
&quot;An alternative explanation is that the status quo of an unstable Afghanistan with ongoing fighting, in which they have relationship with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and key players, is seen by Pakistan as favorable to its interests. 
 
&quot;In my view they want peace and stability in Afghanistan only if the country is controlled by a group, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network which they control or have strong influence over,&quot; he claimed. 
 
&quot;Pakistan is the landlord and the Taliban is living in the house that Pakistan owns. This gives them huge leverage. Actually the relationship is even stronger than a landlord and tenant. It is one of sponsor and sponsorees,&quot; he said. 
 
Currently, chairman of the Atlantic Council&#39;s South Asia Center&#39;s advisory board, and president of Gryphon Partnerson, Khalilzad will deliver a talk on his new book &#39;The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World&#39; at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on July 1. 
 
(PTI)

He said Pakistan faces the prospect of becoming a second 'North Korea' if it continues to destabilise Afghanistan by supporting Taliban

The US should adopt a policy of "total isolation" against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a "second North Korea" if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. "In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, this is the time to increase the pressure by suspending all assistance to Pakistan -- military and civilian -- and move towards isolating Pakistan internationally, including not supporting IMF renewal of financial support," Zalmay Khalilzad, a former top American diplomat in the Bush Administration, told PTI. Khalilzad, who played a key role America's policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq after 9/11 terror attack, said the US should adopt a policy of "total isolation" against Pakistan. Such a policy, he argued would send a signal to Pakistan that it faces the prospect of becoming a "second North Korea" unless it changes its course on Afghanistan. Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim American in the history of the United States. He was the US ambassador to the United Nations under former president George W Bush. He also served as the US ambassador to Afghanistan and headed the country's diplomatic mission in Iraq. "If Pakistan truly changes course, then the US should be willing to be supportive in a significant way. But we have to substantially escalate the cost of Pakistan's hostile policy in Afghanistan," he said. Khalilzad also called for retaining the current level of forces in Afghanistan and more flexible rules of engagement for US forces until the next President reviews the situation in Afghanistan and decides on a new policy. "While there are some potential risks in isolating Pakistan, there are real risks with continuing the current course in Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said and called for having a contingency plan to deal with the nuclear scenario risks. "In fact (US forces) being in Afghanistan would help in addressing such challenges promptly," he said. "The choice we have made hasn't really worked for the last 15 years in terms of changing Pakistan's two-faced policy. The time has come to adjust that policy. In my view a better option is international isolation of Pakistan," Khalilzad argued. "The role that Pakistan has played....Is that of a double game. It has signalled on the one hand that it wants to be helpful to the United States in fighting terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan. But on the other hand, in reality, it has been energetically supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network to achieve the very opposite. That has been the essence of the Pakistan policy on Afghanistan," he said. Noting that Pakistan's Afghan policy is determined by the Army and the ISI, Khalilzad said that the reason for such a policy is that they believe that by supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, they can achieve the goal of dominating Afghanistan. "An alternative explanation is that the status quo of an unstable Afghanistan with ongoing fighting, in which they have relationship with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and key players, is seen by Pakistan as favorable to its interests. "In my view they want peace and stability in Afghanistan only if the country is controlled by a group, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network which they control or have strong influence over," he claimed. "Pakistan is the landlord and the Taliban is living in the house that Pakistan owns. This gives them huge leverage. Actually the relationship is even stronger than a landlord and tenant. It is one of sponsor and sponsorees," he said. Currently, chairman of the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center's advisory board, and president of Gryphon Partnerson, Khalilzad will deliver a talk on his new book 'The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World' at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi on July 1. (PTI)

US should adopt policy of total isolation against Pakistan: former American diplomat

Pakistan has extended by six months a deadline for Afghan refugees to register with the government, a refugee official said on Wednesday, a day before the deadline was set to expire. 
 
Pakistan has the world&#39;s second largest refugee population, with more than 1.5 million registered, and about a million unregistered, refugees from Afghanistan, most of whom fled the Soviet occupation of their country in the 1980s. 
 
The number of Afghans voluntarily returning home has plunged this year as violence worsens in Afghanistan, where the government and its US allies are fighting a stubborn Taliban insurgency. 
 
&quot;The prime minister has approved another six-month extension in the deadline,&quot; Imran Zeb Khan, the chief commissioner for Afghan Refugees, told Reuters in an interview. 
 
&quot;But Pakistan can&#39;t ensure that these refugees will return. That cannot happen without support from Afghanistan and the international community which need to create the right conditions for their repatriation.&quot; 
 
Khan said Pakistan would hold a tripartite meeting with Afghanistan and the United Nations refugee agency on July 19 to plan the way forward. 
 
The comments came soon after officials told Reuters at least 500 Afghan refugees were arrested in a northwestern border province and deported as a security risk. 
 
Pakistan&#39;s Dawn newspaper reported that more than 2,000 refugees were arrested in the last month, and 400 deported to Afghanistan. 
 
There are only 100,000 registered refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the site of the arrests, said provincial information minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t suggest any aggressive campaign against Afghan refugees, but we have been hosting them for the past 35 years and it is time they should go back to their country,&quot; Ghani said. 
 
Unregistered Afghans had become a major security issue for the government, he added. About 6,000 Afghans have chosen to return home from Pakistan in 2016, well below last year&#39;s figure of 58,211, the United Nations&#39; refugee agency has said. 
 
Registration cards allowing a temporary legal stay for Afghan refugees last received a six-month extension after they expired in December 2015. 
 
Many Afghans have lived in Pakistan for decades and contribute significantly to its labour force. 
 
But Afghan refugee camps have become &quot;safe havens for terrorists&quot;, Pakistani foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz told a Pakistani television channel last week. 
 
Pakistani federal minister for states and frontier regions, Abdul Qadir Baloch, also warned that Pakistan was not willing to host Afghan refugees indefinitely. 
 
Visiting Pakistan last week, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said he had made the case to the government for extending the June 30 deadline. 
 
(Reuters)

Pakistan has the world's second-largest refugee population, with about 2.5 million from Afghanistan

Pakistan has extended by six months a deadline for Afghan refugees to register with the government, a refugee official said on Wednesday, a day before the deadline was set to expire. Pakistan has the world's second largest refugee population, with more than 1.5 million registered, and about a million unregistered, refugees from Afghanistan, most of whom fled the Soviet occupation of their country in the 1980s. The number of Afghans voluntarily returning home has plunged this year as violence worsens in Afghanistan, where the government and its US allies are fighting a stubborn Taliban insurgency. "The prime minister has approved another six-month extension in the deadline," Imran Zeb Khan, the chief commissioner for Afghan Refugees, told Reuters in an interview. "But Pakistan can't ensure that these refugees will return. That cannot happen without support from Afghanistan and the international community which need to create the right conditions for their repatriation." Khan said Pakistan would hold a tripartite meeting with Afghanistan and the United Nations refugee agency on July 19 to plan the way forward. The comments came soon after officials told Reuters at least 500 Afghan refugees were arrested in a northwestern border province and deported as a security risk. Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that more than 2,000 refugees were arrested in the last month, and 400 deported to Afghanistan. There are only 100,000 registered refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the site of the arrests, said provincial information minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani. "We don't suggest any aggressive campaign against Afghan refugees, but we have been hosting them for the past 35 years and it is time they should go back to their country," Ghani said. Unregistered Afghans had become a major security issue for the government, he added. About 6,000 Afghans have chosen to return home from Pakistan in 2016, well below last year's figure of 58,211, the United Nations' refugee agency has said. Registration cards allowing a temporary legal stay for Afghan refugees last received a six-month extension after they expired in December 2015. Many Afghans have lived in Pakistan for decades and contribute significantly to its labour force. But Afghan refugee camps have become "safe havens for terrorists", Pakistani foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz told a Pakistani television channel last week. Pakistani federal minister for states and frontier regions, Abdul Qadir Baloch, also warned that Pakistan was not willing to host Afghan refugees indefinitely. Visiting Pakistan last week, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said he had made the case to the government for extending the June 30 deadline. (Reuters)

Pakistan extends deadline for Afghan refugees to register with the government

Heavy fighting between Islamic State (IS) militants and government security forces has claimed dozens of lives in eastern Afghanistan, officials said today. 
 
In recent months insurgents claiming allegiance to Islamic State had largely appeared to be bottled up in a mountainous area along the border with Pakistan under threat of US air strikes. 
 
The latest attacks indicate the group remains a potent threat to a government already battling an insurgency dominated by the rival Taliban. 
 
At least a dozen Afghan security forces and civilians had been killed, with another 18 wounded, Nangarhar province governor Saleem Khan Kunduzi said in a statement. 
 
Local officials claimed more than 100 Islamic State fighters had been killed in fighting in Nangarhar over the past three days, even though exact figures varied and could not be independently verified. 
 
&quot;There is no doubt that Daesh (IS) do not respect anyone,&quot; Kunduzi said, using a common term for Islamic State. &quot;They kill people, regardless of whether they&#39;re a child or a woman. They burn down madrasas, mosques and schools.&quot; 
 
As many as 25 homes had been burned down in Kowt district, and five civilians were reported kidnapped, Nangarhar officials said. 
 
Hundreds of police and soldiers are engaged in the area with reinforcements on the way, provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid said. 
 
At a small event today in Kabul, the head of Afghanistan&#39;s civil society federation, Sediq Ansari, blamed local leaders for being negligent in the face of Islamic State threats and called on them to be suspended. 
 
&quot;They should be accountable for every drop of blood that has been shed in Nangarhar so it becomes a lesson to other officials,&quot; he told gathered reporters. 
 
Militants linked to Islamic State have not made as much progress in Afghanistan as in Syria and Iraq, where the group seized major cities and wide swaths of territory and attracted thousands of recruits. 
 
In Afghanistan, the group is thought to consist mostly of disaffected members of other insurgent movements, including the Taliban, who have often battled Islamic State for control of areas in Nangarhar. 
 
In January, US President Barack Obama gave US forces in Afghanistan more freedom to attack Islamic State targets, leading to a spike in air strikes and other operations, especially in Nangarhar. 
 
No coalition forces have been involved in the latest fighting, spokesman Commander Ron Flesvig said. 
 
(Reuters)

According to local officials, more than 100 Islamic State fighters had been killed in fighting in Nangarhar over the past three days

Heavy fighting between Islamic State (IS) militants and government security forces has claimed dozens of lives in eastern Afghanistan, officials said today. In recent months insurgents claiming allegiance to Islamic State had largely appeared to be bottled up in a mountainous area along the border with Pakistan under threat of US air strikes. The latest attacks indicate the group remains a potent threat to a government already battling an insurgency dominated by the rival Taliban. At least a dozen Afghan security forces and civilians had been killed, with another 18 wounded, Nangarhar province governor Saleem Khan Kunduzi said in a statement. Local officials claimed more than 100 Islamic State fighters had been killed in fighting in Nangarhar over the past three days, even though exact figures varied and could not be independently verified. "There is no doubt that Daesh (IS) do not respect anyone," Kunduzi said, using a common term for Islamic State. "They kill people, regardless of whether they're a child or a woman. They burn down madrasas, mosques and schools." As many as 25 homes had been burned down in Kowt district, and five civilians were reported kidnapped, Nangarhar officials said. Hundreds of police and soldiers are engaged in the area with reinforcements on the way, provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid said. At a small event today in Kabul, the head of Afghanistan's civil society federation, Sediq Ansari, blamed local leaders for being negligent in the face of Islamic State threats and called on them to be suspended. "They should be accountable for every drop of blood that has been shed in Nangarhar so it becomes a lesson to other officials," he told gathered reporters. Militants linked to Islamic State have not made as much progress in Afghanistan as in Syria and Iraq, where the group seized major cities and wide swaths of territory and attracted thousands of recruits. In Afghanistan, the group is thought to consist mostly of disaffected members of other insurgent movements, including the Taliban, who have often battled Islamic State for control of areas in Nangarhar. In January, US President Barack Obama gave US forces in Afghanistan more freedom to attack Islamic State targets, leading to a spike in air strikes and other operations, especially in Nangarhar. No coalition forces have been involved in the latest fighting, spokesman Commander Ron Flesvig said. (Reuters)

Islamic State militants launch new attacks in eastern Afghanistan

Nepal has barred its citizens from working in Afghanistan after a suicide bomb attack killed 14 Nepalese guards in Kabul this week, an official said today. 
 
The government said the safety of Nepalese working in danger zones was its &quot;major concern&quot; and it will look to repatriate the thousands of citizens already working in Afghanistan, although it gave no time frame. 
 
&quot;The government... has decided to impose a ban on sending workers to Afghanistan,&quot; said Govinda Mani Bhurtel, spokesman for the ministry of labour and employment. 
 
The latest victims were among 14 security guards who were killed on Monday in a Taliban suicide blast targeting their bus as they headed to work at the Canadian embassy in Kabul. A 15th man died in hospital on Wednesday. 
 
Official figures show 3,300 Nepalis are currently working in Afghanistan as security guards, but that does not include those who travel via Gulf countries and the true figure is thought to be higher. 
 
Nepal already bans its citizens from travelling to Syria, Iraq and Libya for work. 
 
But labour rights advocates said such bans did little to prevent Nepalis desperate for work from travelling to such countries. 
 
&quot;The government decision to impose a ban on labour destinations is not a long-term solution,&quot; said Bishnu Lamsal, general secretary of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT). 
 
&quot;The government should come up with proactive measures to control the number of illegal migrant workers going there... (otherwise) the risk will remain high,&quot; Lamsal told AFP. 
 
Impoverished Nepal has long served as a supplier of security forces to the world.&nbsp; 
 
A number of them are former soldiers from the Gurkha brigades of the Indian and British armies while others are retired Nepal army or police personnel. 
 
Four Nepali guards were killed in a 2011 attack on a UN compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 2011. 
 
(AFP)

They're already banned from Syria, Iraq & Libya but activists say the bans do little to stop Nepalese desperate for work from going

Nepal has barred its citizens from working in Afghanistan after a suicide bomb attack killed 14 Nepalese guards in Kabul this week, an official said today. The government said the safety of Nepalese working in danger zones was its "major concern" and it will look to repatriate the thousands of citizens already working in Afghanistan, although it gave no time frame. "The government... has decided to impose a ban on sending workers to Afghanistan," said Govinda Mani Bhurtel, spokesman for the ministry of labour and employment. The latest victims were among 14 security guards who were killed on Monday in a Taliban suicide blast targeting their bus as they headed to work at the Canadian embassy in Kabul. A 15th man died in hospital on Wednesday. Official figures show 3,300 Nepalis are currently working in Afghanistan as security guards, but that does not include those who travel via Gulf countries and the true figure is thought to be higher. Nepal already bans its citizens from travelling to Syria, Iraq and Libya for work. But labour rights advocates said such bans did little to prevent Nepalis desperate for work from travelling to such countries. "The government decision to impose a ban on labour destinations is not a long-term solution," said Bishnu Lamsal, general secretary of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT). "The government should come up with proactive measures to control the number of illegal migrant workers going there... (otherwise) the risk will remain high," Lamsal told AFP. Impoverished Nepal has long served as a supplier of security forces to the world. A number of them are former soldiers from the Gurkha brigades of the Indian and British armies while others are retired Nepal army or police personnel. Four Nepali guards were killed in a 2011 attack on a UN compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 2011. (AFP)

Nepal bars its citizens from working in Afghanistan

On a bright day in downtown Kabul, Jagtar Singh Laghmani was in his traditional herb shop when a man turned up, drew a knife and told him to convert to Islam or he would cut his throat. Only bystanders and other shopkeepers saved his life. 
 
The incident earlier this month was the latest attack on a dwindling community of Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan, a deeply conservative Muslim country struggling with growing insecurity caused by an Islamist insurgency and economic challenges. 
 
Once a thriving minority, only a handful of Sikh and Hindu families remain. Many have chosen to flee the country of their birth, blaming growing discrimination and intolerance. 
 
&quot;This is how we begin our day - with fear and isolation. If you are not a Muslim, you are not a human in their eyes,&quot; said Jagtar Singh, speaking in his tiny shop in the bustling centre of Kabul. &quot;I don&#39;t know what to do or where to go.&quot; 
 
For centuries, Hindu and Sikh communities played a prominent role in merchant trade and money lending in Afghanistan, although today they are known more for medicinal herb shops. 
 
According to Avtar Singh, chairman of the national council of Hindus and Sikhs, the community now numbers fewer than 220 families, compared with around 220,000 members before the collapse of the Kabul government in 1992. 
 
Once spread across the country, the community is now mainly concentrated in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Ghazni, and the capital Kabul. 
 
Although Afghanistan is almost entirely Muslim, its constitution, drawn up after US-led forces drove out the Taliban government in 2001, theoretically guarantees the right of minority religions to worship freely. 
 
But as the conflict drags on, Avtar Singh said conditions were worse than under the Taliban, which imposed strict Islamic laws, staged public executions and banned girls from schools. 
 
Hindus and Sikhs had to wear yellow patches that identified them in public, but were otherwise seldom bothered. 
 
&quot;The good old days have long gone when we were treated as Afghans, not as outsiders,&quot; Avtar Singh said from a temple in Kabul, all the while keeping an eye on visitors using monitors linked to security cameras. 
 
&quot;Our lands have been taken by powerful figures in the government, especially by the warlords. We are facing threats, and this small community is getting smaller and smaller every day,&quot; he added. 
 
Last week, dozens of Hindu and Sikh families left Helmand, where Taliban insurgents, who have a presence in much of the southern province, sent a letter demanding 200,000 Afghani ($2,800) a month from the community. 
 
HOSTILITY 
 
Tensions have surfaced in Qalacha, an area on the outskirts of Kabul where the Sikh and Hindu community owns a high-walled crematorium. 
 
As the capital has expanded in recent years, the neighbourhood has become densely populated and some newer residents oppose Hindu and Sikh cremations, a practice foreign to Muslims, who bury their dead. 
 
&quot;When they burn the body the smell makes our family sick and we don&#39;t want this to happen here,&quot; said Ahmad Timor, a Muslim resident in Qalacha. 
 
The Sikhs say local Muslim hardliners have stirred up hostility against them, and the community now requires police protection for their funeral rituals. 
 
&quot;They throw stones and bricks at us, at the bodies of the dead, whenever there is a funeral,&quot; said Avtar Singh, pointing to a newly built house next to the crematorium. 
 
Dahi-ul Haq Abid, deputy minister for Haj and religious affairs, said the government had done what it could to improve the livelihood of Hindus and Sikhs. 
 
&quot;We agree that conflicts pushed them out of the country, but their condition is not as bad as they claim,&quot; Abid added. 
 
&quot;We have allocated them a place to burn their bodies because inside the city people complained about the smell, but they did not agree,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
Harassment is also common 
 
Jasmeet Singh, eight, stopped going to school because of what he said was daily harassment. He and other children from the community now either go to private schools or study inside the temple. 
 
&quot;While I was at school, other students were making fun of me. They were removing my turban, hitting me and calling me Hindu and kaffir (infidel),&quot; said Jasmeet Singh, as other boys nodded their heads in agreement. 
 
Increasing numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have moved to India, their spiritual homeland, but some say they remain foreigners wherever they go. 
 
&quot;When we go to India, we are known as Afghans, but when we are here, we are seen as outsiders even if we are native Afghan,&quot; said Baljit Singh, a shopkeeper in Kabul. &quot;We are lost between both worlds.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Under the Taliban there are public executions, girls can't attend school, and Hindus and Sikhs wear yellow patches in public

On a bright day in downtown Kabul, Jagtar Singh Laghmani was in his traditional herb shop when a man turned up, drew a knife and told him to convert to Islam or he would cut his throat. Only bystanders and other shopkeepers saved his life. The incident earlier this month was the latest attack on a dwindling community of Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan, a deeply conservative Muslim country struggling with growing insecurity caused by an Islamist insurgency and economic challenges. Once a thriving minority, only a handful of Sikh and Hindu families remain. Many have chosen to flee the country of their birth, blaming growing discrimination and intolerance. "This is how we begin our day - with fear and isolation. If you are not a Muslim, you are not a human in their eyes," said Jagtar Singh, speaking in his tiny shop in the bustling centre of Kabul. "I don't know what to do or where to go." For centuries, Hindu and Sikh communities played a prominent role in merchant trade and money lending in Afghanistan, although today they are known more for medicinal herb shops. According to Avtar Singh, chairman of the national council of Hindus and Sikhs, the community now numbers fewer than 220 families, compared with around 220,000 members before the collapse of the Kabul government in 1992. Once spread across the country, the community is now mainly concentrated in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Ghazni, and the capital Kabul. Although Afghanistan is almost entirely Muslim, its constitution, drawn up after US-led forces drove out the Taliban government in 2001, theoretically guarantees the right of minority religions to worship freely. But as the conflict drags on, Avtar Singh said conditions were worse than under the Taliban, which imposed strict Islamic laws, staged public executions and banned girls from schools. Hindus and Sikhs had to wear yellow patches that identified them in public, but were otherwise seldom bothered. "The good old days have long gone when we were treated as Afghans, not as outsiders," Avtar Singh said from a temple in Kabul, all the while keeping an eye on visitors using monitors linked to security cameras. "Our lands have been taken by powerful figures in the government, especially by the warlords. We are facing threats, and this small community is getting smaller and smaller every day," he added. Last week, dozens of Hindu and Sikh families left Helmand, where Taliban insurgents, who have a presence in much of the southern province, sent a letter demanding 200,000 Afghani ($2,800) a month from the community. HOSTILITY Tensions have surfaced in Qalacha, an area on the outskirts of Kabul where the Sikh and Hindu community owns a high-walled crematorium. As the capital has expanded in recent years, the neighbourhood has become densely populated and some newer residents oppose Hindu and Sikh cremations, a practice foreign to Muslims, who bury their dead. "When they burn the body the smell makes our family sick and we don't want this to happen here," said Ahmad Timor, a Muslim resident in Qalacha. The Sikhs say local Muslim hardliners have stirred up hostility against them, and the community now requires police protection for their funeral rituals. "They throw stones and bricks at us, at the bodies of the dead, whenever there is a funeral," said Avtar Singh, pointing to a newly built house next to the crematorium. Dahi-ul Haq Abid, deputy minister for Haj and religious affairs, said the government had done what it could to improve the livelihood of Hindus and Sikhs. "We agree that conflicts pushed them out of the country, but their condition is not as bad as they claim," Abid added. "We have allocated them a place to burn their bodies because inside the city people complained about the smell, but they did not agree," he told Reuters. Harassment is also common Jasmeet Singh, eight, stopped going to school because of what he said was daily harassment. He and other children from the community now either go to private schools or study inside the temple. "While I was at school, other students were making fun of me. They were removing my turban, hitting me and calling me Hindu and kaffir (infidel)," said Jasmeet Singh, as other boys nodded their heads in agreement. Increasing numbers of Sikhs and Hindus have moved to India, their spiritual homeland, but some say they remain foreigners wherever they go. "When we go to India, we are known as Afghans, but when we are here, we are seen as outsiders even if we are native Afghan," said Baljit Singh, a shopkeeper in Kabul. "We are lost between both worlds." (Reuters)

Afghanistan's dwindling Sikh, Hindu communities flee new abuses

Taliban on Tuesday kidnapped about 25 after pulling them off buses in Southern Afghanistan, officials said, the latest in a series of abductions on the country&#39;s increasingly dangerous highways. 
 
The pre-dawn incident in Washer district of the Helmand province comes a day after militants killed more than 20 people, including 14 Nepalese security guards, in a wave of violence across the country.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They abducted about 25 men,&quot; the Helmand governor&#39;s spokesman Omar Zwak said. 
 
He was unable to give a more precise figure, but added the passengers were travelling on a bus and two trucks from Southern Kandahar to western Herat province.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Our latest report shows they have been taken to Marja district of Helmand. We have started our search and rescue operation,&quot; he said. 
 
Marja district is the Taliban hotbed and a battleground between the Taliban and Afghan forces in the volatile Helmand province.&nbsp; 
 
Witness Agha Jan told AFP the militants, who were wearing army uniforms, initially detained 37 people.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They released women and children later, but kept the men,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
The Taliban insurgents said they were targeting Afghan government officials aboard the vehicles.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They have been taken based on the intelligence. Those who are innocent will be released and those who are working with the puppet Kabul administration will be brought to justice in Islamic Emirate&#39;s court,&quot; a spokesman for the insurgents said on Twitter. 
 
Highways around Afghanistan passing through insurgency-prone areas have become exceedingly dangerous with the Taliban and other armed groups frequently kidnapping or killing travellers. 
 
Earlier this month, gunmen abducted 40 people in northern Kunduz province, releasing some later, but an unknown number of others remain in Taliban captivity.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The insurgents say that they were looking for Afghan officials aboard these vehicles

Taliban on Tuesday kidnapped about 25 after pulling them off buses in Southern Afghanistan, officials said, the latest in a series of abductions on the country's increasingly dangerous highways. The pre-dawn incident in Washer district of the Helmand province comes a day after militants killed more than 20 people, including 14 Nepalese security guards, in a wave of violence across the country. "They abducted about 25 men," the Helmand governor's spokesman Omar Zwak said. He was unable to give a more precise figure, but added the passengers were travelling on a bus and two trucks from Southern Kandahar to western Herat province. "Our latest report shows they have been taken to Marja district of Helmand. We have started our search and rescue operation," he said. Marja district is the Taliban hotbed and a battleground between the Taliban and Afghan forces in the volatile Helmand province. Witness Agha Jan told AFP the militants, who were wearing army uniforms, initially detained 37 people. "They released women and children later, but kept the men," he said. The Taliban insurgents said they were targeting Afghan government officials aboard the vehicles. "They have been taken based on the intelligence. Those who are innocent will be released and those who are working with the puppet Kabul administration will be brought to justice in Islamic Emirate's court," a spokesman for the insurgents said on Twitter. Highways around Afghanistan passing through insurgency-prone areas have become exceedingly dangerous with the Taliban and other armed groups frequently kidnapping or killing travellers. Earlier this month, gunmen abducted 40 people in northern Kunduz province, releasing some later, but an unknown number of others remain in Taliban captivity. (AFP)

Taliban abducts 25 passengers from buses in Afghanistan

The deaths of 14 Nepali guards in Afghanistan have highlighted the Himalayan nation&#39;s role as supplier of security forces to the world, an industry fuelled by poverty and built on the centuries-old reputation of its Gurkha troops for courage and loyalty. 
 
While the number of Gurkha soldiers Britain recruits annually in the impoverished nation has fallen in recent years, global demand for Nepalis as private security guards remains high. 
 
&quot;Everyone wants a Gurkha to protect their assets -- from a billionaire in Hong Kong to private firms in Kabul,&quot; said Mahesh Shrestha, Nepal country manager for British security giant G4S. 
 
&quot;Gurkhas have always been a big craze as far as the market for security (personnel) is concerned,&quot; Shrestha told AFP. 
 
The industry provides lucrative jobs for retired Gurkhas as well as former Nepal army and police staff willing to risk their lives in conflict zones around the world. 
 
Nepalis were first recruited overseas by the British East India Company after the Anglo-Nepali war that ended in 1816. 
 
Impressed by their bravery, the British struck a deal to hire their former foes as soldiers, using Gurkha troops to crush riots in 19th-century India and fight for Britain in World Wars I and II. 
 
The Gurkhas&#39; World War I exploits also secured the Himalayan kingdom&#39;s sovereignty via a 1923 treaty between Nepal and Britain. 
 
Famed for their ferocity and skillful use of razor-sharp curved kukri knives, the Gurkhas have fought in every British conflict for the last two centuries. 
 
More than 45,000 have died in action. 
 
They have also enlisted in the Singapore police force and the Indian army, whose former chief of staff Sam Manekshaw is reported to have said: &quot;If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha&quot;. 
 
Today, private security firms seek to trade on that reputation when they advertise their recruitment of Nepalis -- including non-Gurkhas -- to prospective clients. 
 
As a result, Nepalis enjoy a virtual monopoly in the private security sector in countries like Malaysia, where companies are only allowed to hire them or locals as guards. 
 
&quot;Thanks to the Gurkhas&#39; fame... people think Nepalis are loyal, honest, hardworking men who can survive anywhere and cope with tough conditions,&quot; G4S&#39;s Shrestha said. 
 
Fuelled by desperation 
The hillside towns the Gurkhas come from are islands of relative prosperity in Nepal thanks to salaries and pensions which are substantially higher than local wages. 
 
Thousands of young men apply to join the British Gurkhas each year, but only around 230 make the final cut. Their tests include a 4.6-kilometre (2.9-mile) race up a steep hill while carrying a basket packed with rocks. 
 
The British army now employs around 2,500 Gurkhas, down from an all-time high of 112,000 during World War II, and many have taken jobs as security guards in conflict zones like Afghanistan, where 14 Nepalis working for the Canadian embassy were killed in a bomb attack this week. 
 
They are more expensive than Afghan security, but are seen as more reliable and their physical similarity allows them to blend in better than other foreigners. 
 
&quot;Young Nepali males don&#39;t really have many options at home and so they seek dangerous jobs overseas... because of their desperation,&quot; journalist Kunda Dixit told AFP. 
 
Nepali migrant workers play a critical role in propping up the country&#39;s economy: their remittances make up about 30 percent of gross domestic product. 
 
Authorities say some 3,300 Nepalis currently work in Afghanistan as security guards but accurate figures for the total number employed across the world are hard to come by. 
 
Despite the dangers, commentators say the deaths this week will do little to stop other Nepalis from venturing into war zones in desperate pursuit of work, as the country struggles to recover from last year&#39;s massive earthquake. 
(AFP)

Famed for their ferocity and skillful use of razor-sharp curved khukri knives, Gurkhas fight for the British, Indian and Nepalese armies

The deaths of 14 Nepali guards in Afghanistan have highlighted the Himalayan nation's role as supplier of security forces to the world, an industry fuelled by poverty and built on the centuries-old reputation of its Gurkha troops for courage and loyalty. While the number of Gurkha soldiers Britain recruits annually in the impoverished nation has fallen in recent years, global demand for Nepalis as private security guards remains high. "Everyone wants a Gurkha to protect their assets -- from a billionaire in Hong Kong to private firms in Kabul," said Mahesh Shrestha, Nepal country manager for British security giant G4S. "Gurkhas have always been a big craze as far as the market for security (personnel) is concerned," Shrestha told AFP. The industry provides lucrative jobs for retired Gurkhas as well as former Nepal army and police staff willing to risk their lives in conflict zones around the world. Nepalis were first recruited overseas by the British East India Company after the Anglo-Nepali war that ended in 1816. Impressed by their bravery, the British struck a deal to hire their former foes as soldiers, using Gurkha troops to crush riots in 19th-century India and fight for Britain in World Wars I and II. The Gurkhas' World War I exploits also secured the Himalayan kingdom's sovereignty via a 1923 treaty between Nepal and Britain. Famed for their ferocity and skillful use of razor-sharp curved kukri knives, the Gurkhas have fought in every British conflict for the last two centuries. More than 45,000 have died in action. They have also enlisted in the Singapore police force and the Indian army, whose former chief of staff Sam Manekshaw is reported to have said: "If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha". Today, private security firms seek to trade on that reputation when they advertise their recruitment of Nepalis -- including non-Gurkhas -- to prospective clients. As a result, Nepalis enjoy a virtual monopoly in the private security sector in countries like Malaysia, where companies are only allowed to hire them or locals as guards. "Thanks to the Gurkhas' fame... people think Nepalis are loyal, honest, hardworking men who can survive anywhere and cope with tough conditions," G4S's Shrestha said. Fuelled by desperation The hillside towns the Gurkhas come from are islands of relative prosperity in Nepal thanks to salaries and pensions which are substantially higher than local wages. Thousands of young men apply to join the British Gurkhas each year, but only around 230 make the final cut. Their tests include a 4.6-kilometre (2.9-mile) race up a steep hill while carrying a basket packed with rocks. The British army now employs around 2,500 Gurkhas, down from an all-time high of 112,000 during World War II, and many have taken jobs as security guards in conflict zones like Afghanistan, where 14 Nepalis working for the Canadian embassy were killed in a bomb attack this week. They are more expensive than Afghan security, but are seen as more reliable and their physical similarity allows them to blend in better than other foreigners. "Young Nepali males don't really have many options at home and so they seek dangerous jobs overseas... because of their desperation," journalist Kunda Dixit told AFP. Nepali migrant workers play a critical role in propping up the country's economy: their remittances make up about 30 percent of gross domestic product. Authorities say some 3,300 Nepalis currently work in Afghanistan as security guards but accurate figures for the total number employed across the world are hard to come by. Despite the dangers, commentators say the deaths this week will do little to stop other Nepalis from venturing into war zones in desperate pursuit of work, as the country struggles to recover from last year's massive earthquake. (AFP)

Gurkhas to guards: Nepalis doing dangerous jobs abroad

Two bomb explosions rocked Afghanistan Monday morning. In the first, a&nbsp;suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded.&nbsp; 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives,&quot; he said in a tweet.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy,&quot; PM Modi said.&nbsp; 
 
Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital.&nbsp; 
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam&#39;s holy month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month.&nbsp; 
 
Also Monday morning, at least eight people were killed and 18 injured in a seprate attack Monday morning, when a motorcycle bomb exploded in a crowded market in Afghanistan&#39;s northeastern Badakhshan province, local authorities said. 
 
&quot;Our initial information is eight people were martyred, and 18 others were wounded, all the victims are civilians,&quot; the Badakhshan provincial governor&#39;s spokesman Naweed Froutan told AFP, adding that the death toll is set to rise. 
 
The district governor of Keshim, where the attack took place, gave a higher toll of at least 10 killed and 30 wounded. 
 
&quot;It was a motorcycle bomb explosion inside a main market in Keshim district of Badakhshan province,&quot; Abdul Salam Paiman told AFP, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and all had been taken to hospital. 
 
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast in the remote, mountainous province. 
 
Reuters reports that the attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. &nbsp; 
 
AFP notes that the attacks come just days after Washington expanded the US military&#39;s authority to carry out airstrikes on the insurgents. 
(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Suicide attack and so far unclaimed motorcycle bomb devastate country as insurgency persists despite Taliban leader's recent death

Two bomb explosions rocked Afghanistan Monday morning. In the first, a suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said. A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city. Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said. The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said. He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy. "We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives," he said in a tweet. "We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy," PM Modi said. Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam's holy month. It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month. Also Monday morning, at least eight people were killed and 18 injured in a seprate attack Monday morning, when a motorcycle bomb exploded in a crowded market in Afghanistan's northeastern Badakhshan province, local authorities said. "Our initial information is eight people were martyred, and 18 others were wounded, all the victims are civilians," the Badakhshan provincial governor's spokesman Naweed Froutan told AFP, adding that the death toll is set to rise. The district governor of Keshim, where the attack took place, gave a higher toll of at least 10 killed and 30 wounded. "It was a motorcycle bomb explosion inside a main market in Keshim district of Badakhshan province," Abdul Salam Paiman told AFP, adding that some of the wounded were in critical condition and all had been taken to hospital. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast in the remote, mountainous province. Reuters reports that the attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. AFP notes that the attacks come just days after Washington expanded the US military's authority to carry out airstrikes on the insurgents. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Twin blasts rock Afghanistan Monday morning: At least 22 dead, 26 injured

Police in the Afghan capital have told foreigners living outside protected compounds to travel with guards, after the kidnapping of an Indian aid worker last week added to a growing sense of insecurity in Kabul. 
 
The push is for the safety of residents, said Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of the Kabul police Criminal Investigation Department. 
 
&quot;All foreign citizens and their offices in Afghanistan are terrorists&#39; targets ... the kidnapping and criminal threat is very serious,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;This will be prevented only if they use security guards and escorts.&quot; 
 
One document distributed by Obaidi&#39;s officers to private homes and organisations instructs residents to take a variety of security measures, including using armed police escorts if necessary. 
 
But national security officials have distanced themselves from the police efforts, after critics complained that the measures were counterproductive and did not reduce the threats facing residents. 
 
In the past week, foreign workers have reported police and intelligence agents stopping their cars, being taken to police stations, questioned about personal information, filmed and photographed. 
 
The Interior Ministry was not involved in the decision to use such tactics, and plans to work with city police to change their security measures, said spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. 
 
Although the capital has long faced threats, until a few years ago the war with Taliban insurgents was mostly waged in the countryside. 
 
Many aid workers and journalists lived in upscale Kabul neighbourhoods and frequented restaurants and sports clubs. 
 
But since 2014, when most international troops pulled out of Afghanistan and militants launched high-profile attacks on restaurants popular with foreigners, some have relocated into protected compounds. 
 
The kidnapping of 40-year-old Judith D&#39;Souza on June 9 in the heart of Kabul has prompted police to step up pressure on foreigners to adopt more extensive security measures. 
 
In some cases, the police tactics have prompted indignation from those they are designed to help. 
 
&quot;Telling us we can&#39;t travel anywhere without armed guards is ridiculous,&quot; said Sri Lankan Nayela Wickramasuriya. &quot;We may as well not have police then.&quot; 
 
Wickramasuriya said police recently stopped her as she was leaving a friend&#39;s house during the day time and tried to prevent her from travelling home. 
 
&quot;Is this the new Kabul?&quot; was the thought freelance journalist Courtney Body said ran through her mind last week as she stood in an Afghan police station being questioned by nine officers who detained her and a friend for two hours after stopping their car. 
 
Along with the D&#39;Souza kidnapping, at least two other foreigners, from Germany and the Netherlands, were taken from the same neighborhood in separate incidents last year. 
 
Both of those women were eventually released unharmed, with police saying the kidnappings were most likely financially motivated. 
 
Wealthy Afghans also face an increased threat of kidnapping by gangs seeking to make money, and local employees of aid organizations are often kidnapped out in the field. 
 
The German aid organization GIZ pulled all of its foreign employees from their houses in Kabul last year after two employees were separately abducted. 
 
Other organizations have restricted movement, hired armed guards, imposed curfews, and moved to using armoured vehicles. 
(Reuters)

Afghan Police have asked all foreign citizen residents in Kabul to either hire body guards or stay inside the house due to terror attacks

Police in the Afghan capital have told foreigners living outside protected compounds to travel with guards, after the kidnapping of an Indian aid worker last week added to a growing sense of insecurity in Kabul. The push is for the safety of residents, said Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of the Kabul police Criminal Investigation Department. "All foreign citizens and their offices in Afghanistan are terrorists' targets ... the kidnapping and criminal threat is very serious," he told Reuters. "This will be prevented only if they use security guards and escorts." One document distributed by Obaidi's officers to private homes and organisations instructs residents to take a variety of security measures, including using armed police escorts if necessary. But national security officials have distanced themselves from the police efforts, after critics complained that the measures were counterproductive and did not reduce the threats facing residents. In the past week, foreign workers have reported police and intelligence agents stopping their cars, being taken to police stations, questioned about personal information, filmed and photographed. The Interior Ministry was not involved in the decision to use such tactics, and plans to work with city police to change their security measures, said spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. Although the capital has long faced threats, until a few years ago the war with Taliban insurgents was mostly waged in the countryside. Many aid workers and journalists lived in upscale Kabul neighbourhoods and frequented restaurants and sports clubs. But since 2014, when most international troops pulled out of Afghanistan and militants launched high-profile attacks on restaurants popular with foreigners, some have relocated into protected compounds. The kidnapping of 40-year-old Judith D'Souza on June 9 in the heart of Kabul has prompted police to step up pressure on foreigners to adopt more extensive security measures. In some cases, the police tactics have prompted indignation from those they are designed to help. "Telling us we can't travel anywhere without armed guards is ridiculous," said Sri Lankan Nayela Wickramasuriya. "We may as well not have police then." Wickramasuriya said police recently stopped her as she was leaving a friend's house during the day time and tried to prevent her from travelling home. "Is this the new Kabul?" was the thought freelance journalist Courtney Body said ran through her mind last week as she stood in an Afghan police station being questioned by nine officers who detained her and a friend for two hours after stopping their car. Along with the D'Souza kidnapping, at least two other foreigners, from Germany and the Netherlands, were taken from the same neighborhood in separate incidents last year. Both of those women were eventually released unharmed, with police saying the kidnappings were most likely financially motivated. Wealthy Afghans also face an increased threat of kidnapping by gangs seeking to make money, and local employees of aid organizations are often kidnapped out in the field. The German aid organization GIZ pulled all of its foreign employees from their houses in Kabul last year after two employees were separately abducted. Other organizations have restricted movement, hired armed guards, imposed curfews, and moved to using armoured vehicles. (Reuters)

Foreigners in Kabul are asked to hire guards while steeping out of house

It is blame game between Afghanistan and Pakistan after seven people died during firings at the border crossing of Torkham.&nbsp; 
 
On Sunday, Pakistan constructed defence facilities in a disputed area nearby the border. An action that fuelled tensions between the two country`s security forces, resulting in an exchange of several rounds of fire.&nbsp; 
 
Three Afghan border guards, two Afghan civilians and two Pakistani troops lost their lives. 39 more men got injured from both sides.&nbsp; 
 
The two sides are now observing a temporary ceasefire, and are willing to end the crisis through negotiation.&nbsp; 
During separate press conferences, Government officials of the two countries have blamed each other for provocative activities that caused the clashes.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;They are the ones who built facilities along the border, and opened fire first. There is no doubt that it is the Afghan people and its security forces&#39; legal rights to defend themselves when they are under attack,&quot; said Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani .&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Whatever activities are being undertaken over there, they are part of the border management. These are part of our counter-terrorism effort, essentially part of counter-terrorism effort,&quot; said Nafees Zakaria, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman. 
 
In an attempt to mitigate the climate Afghan deputy spokesman said his government was ready to open negotiations on the incident. &quot;Afghanistan upholds the opinion that violence is not the way to settle the issue. We are seeking a negotiated settlement to this dispute. We hope the Pakistani counterpart can hold the same point of view,&quot; he said. &nbsp; 
(Reuters)

Seven border security forces died and 39 got wounded

It is blame game between Afghanistan and Pakistan after seven people died during firings at the border crossing of Torkham. On Sunday, Pakistan constructed defence facilities in a disputed area nearby the border. An action that fuelled tensions between the two country`s security forces, resulting in an exchange of several rounds of fire. Three Afghan border guards, two Afghan civilians and two Pakistani troops lost their lives. 39 more men got injured from both sides. The two sides are now observing a temporary ceasefire, and are willing to end the crisis through negotiation. During separate press conferences, Government officials of the two countries have blamed each other for provocative activities that caused the clashes. "They are the ones who built facilities along the border, and opened fire first. There is no doubt that it is the Afghan people and its security forces' legal rights to defend themselves when they are under attack," said Shah Hussain Murtazawi, deputy spokesman for the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani . "Whatever activities are being undertaken over there, they are part of the border management. These are part of our counter-terrorism effort, essentially part of counter-terrorism effort," said Nafees Zakaria, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman. In an attempt to mitigate the climate Afghan deputy spokesman said his government was ready to open negotiations on the incident. "Afghanistan upholds the opinion that violence is not the way to settle the issue. We are seeking a negotiated settlement to this dispute. We hope the Pakistani counterpart can hold the same point of view," he said. (Reuters)

Afghanistan and Pakistan spar after fatal exchange of fire across border

The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of &quot;bacha bazi&quot; -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults said. 
 
The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where &quot;bacha bereesh&quot; -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders. 
 
The Taliban over nearly two years have used them to mount a wave of Trojan Horse attacks -- at least six between January and April alone -- that have killed hundreds of policemen, according to security and judicial officials in the province. 
 
&quot;The Taliban are sending boys -- beautiful boys, handsome boys -- to penetrate checkpoints and kill, drug and poison policemen,&quot; said Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, who was Uruzgan&#39;s police chief until he was removed in a security reshuffle in April amid worsening violence. 
 
&quot;They have figured out the biggest weakness of police forces -- bacha bazi,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
The assaults, signifying abuse of children by both parties in the conflict, have left authorities rattled, with one senior provincial official who echoed Rogh Lewanai&#39;s view saying &quot;it&#39;s easier tackling suicide bombers than bacha attackers&quot;. 
 
The killings illustrate how bacha bazi is aggravating insecurity in Uruzgan, a remote province which officials warn is teetering on the brink of collapse, unravelling hard-won gains by US, Australian and Dutch troops who fought there for years. 
 
The insurgents are using children as honey traps, said 21-year-old Matiullah, a policeman who was the only survivor from an insider attack in Dehrawud district in spring last year. 
 
He said the attacker was the checkpoint commander&#39;s own sex slave, a teenager called Zabihullah. Late one night, he went on a shooting spree, killing seven policemen including the commander as they slept. 
 
&quot;He brought the Taliban inside and poked all the bodies with rifle butts to see if anyone was alive. I pretended to be dead,&quot; said Matiullah, who now works as a tailor, pointing out a gash on his forehead. 
 
&quot;As his Taliban accomplices gathered our weapons and ammunition, Zabihullah declared: &#39;Everyone is dead&#39;.&quot; 
 
The Taliban, who banned bacha bazi during their 1996-2001 rule, roundly denied deploying any underage boys for insider attacks. 
 
&quot;We have a special mujahideen brigade for such operations -- all grown men with beards,&quot; a Taliban spokesman told AFP. 
(AFP)

The Taliban has preyed upon the weakness of Afghan cops for nearly two years by using child sex slaves to lure them to death

The Taliban are using child sex slaves to mount crippling insider attacks on police in southern Afghanistan, exploiting the pervasive practice of "bacha bazi" -- paedophilic boy play -- to infiltrate security ranks, multiple officials and survivors of such assaults said. The ancient custom is prevalent across Afghanistan, but nowhere does it seem as entrenched as in the province of Uruzgan, where "bacha bereesh" -- or boys without beards -- widely become objects of lustful attraction for powerful police commanders. The Taliban over nearly two years have used them to mount a wave of Trojan Horse attacks -- at least six between January and April alone -- that have killed hundreds of policemen, according to security and judicial officials in the province. "The Taliban are sending boys -- beautiful boys, handsome boys -- to penetrate checkpoints and kill, drug and poison policemen," said Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewanai, who was Uruzgan's police chief until he was removed in a security reshuffle in April amid worsening violence. "They have figured out the biggest weakness of police forces -- bacha bazi," he told AFP. The assaults, signifying abuse of children by both parties in the conflict, have left authorities rattled, with one senior provincial official who echoed Rogh Lewanai's view saying "it's easier tackling suicide bombers than bacha attackers". The killings illustrate how bacha bazi is aggravating insecurity in Uruzgan, a remote province which officials warn is teetering on the brink of collapse, unravelling hard-won gains by US, Australian and Dutch troops who fought there for years. The insurgents are using children as honey traps, said 21-year-old Matiullah, a policeman who was the only survivor from an insider attack in Dehrawud district in spring last year. He said the attacker was the checkpoint commander's own sex slave, a teenager called Zabihullah. Late one night, he went on a shooting spree, killing seven policemen including the commander as they slept. "He brought the Taliban inside and poked all the bodies with rifle butts to see if anyone was alive. I pretended to be dead," said Matiullah, who now works as a tailor, pointing out a gash on his forehead. "As his Taliban accomplices gathered our weapons and ammunition, Zabihullah declared: 'Everyone is dead'." The Taliban, who banned bacha bazi during their 1996-2001 rule, roundly denied deploying any underage boys for insider attacks. "We have a special mujahideen brigade for such operations -- all grown men with beards," a Taliban spokesman told AFP. (AFP)

Taliban uses 'honey trap' boys to kill Afghan policemen

Clad in a black hijab tucked carefully to fit the frame of her face, 37-year-old Shaheen (name changed) is busy jotting down notes in Persian. The room is dimly lit and it&rsquo;s a hot summer day in the Indian capital. She stops, her hands leave the diary to reach out for the calculator on the table. Five other veiled women sit around the table. They are speaking fluent Dari, one of the major languages spoken in Afghanistan. It is one animated conversation. 
 
Shaheen looks up and says, &ldquo;We have to prepare food for 250 heads tomorrow. We are trying to decide who makes what. This is our biggest order till date and we are nervous. If they like the food, we are going to make good money.&rdquo; 
 
The small room serves as an office for Ilham, a catering start-up run by six Afghan women, all of them single mothers living as refugees in New Delhi. The venture kicked off in 2015 with help from United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its implementing agency ACCESS Development Services (ADS). Their aim is to help these women achieve economic independence by putting their culinary skills to use. 
 
&ldquo;The profit from our first order was 750 Indian Rupees ($11). It&rsquo;s a really small amount but it was extremely significant for us. That&rsquo;s how Ilham started,&rdquo; says Ziagul, co-founder of the catering service. The menu is Afghan only and the food is home-cooked. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kh5cwU-SrRY" width="560"></iframe> 
 
A widow and a mother of five, Ziagul came to India in 2011 after she started receiving death threats from the Taliban. Her husband was killed by unidentified men back in 2001 but she continued to stay at her home in Herat, Afghanistan. It was only when she realised that her daughters were in danger that she decided to move to India. 
 
&ldquo;My eldest daughter was a television reporter and my two younger daughters were child actresses in the Afghan film industry. The Taliban threatened us because they thought television was not a place for respectable women,&rdquo; she says. 
 
Ilham is like a mind balm for these ladies who have seen their lives ripped apart in a land that has constantly witnessed conflict since the end of the 1970s. 
 
&ldquo;The word Ilham means &lsquo;positive&rsquo;. After years of bloodshed and struggle, this is the only positive thing to have happened in our lives,&rdquo; says Shaheen, the lone interpreter in the group. She picked up Hindi by watching Indian movies, she tells WIONews. 
 
Shaheen used to teach at a college in Kabul before her husband was abducted by the Taliban. 
 
&ldquo;His friends say he was shot dead but I didn&rsquo;t even get to see his body. I had to take care of four children. I did have a job but the situation became worse when my in-laws asked me to marry my husband&rsquo;s brother. I refused and was tortured. And that&#39;s why I ran away with my children.&rdquo; 
 
After making her way to New Delhi, Shaheen sustained her family by working as a domestic help before joining Ilham. It has been four years since she arrived here. She hasn&rsquo;t been able to enrol her children in a school. 
 
&ldquo;The money was never enough. We barely managed to eat and pay our rent. It&rsquo;s kind of an irony that I had the best of education possible for a woman in that conflict-torn country and that my children are uneducated.&rdquo; 
 
But Ilham has filled her with renewed hope. &ldquo;Ever since I have joined the business, I see hope for them.&rdquo; 
 
Refugee life for Nadira (name changed), the youngest in the group, has been tough because she does not understand Hindi. While the other women praise her recipe of Afghan dumplings, Nadira talks about her family. 
 
&ldquo;I divorced my husband because he was abusive and a drug addict. Afghanistan is a hostile place for a separated woman. So, I decided to come to India with my daughter and younger siblings,&rdquo; she says. 
 
Unlike Shaheen, Nadira has had little education. Ilham is her first taste of empowerment. &ldquo;I see other women at Ilham as liberated Afghan women and that&rsquo;s what I want to be,&rdquo; she says. 
 
The Afghan ladies have attended workshops on enterprise development and teamwork. They have learned to&nbsp;deal with clients. Though the funding is non government organisation-backed (NGO-backed) at the moment, the women hope that Ilham will soon stand on its own feet. 
 
&ldquo;The NGO is an implementing partner of UNHCR and we have provided these women with the banners, visiting cards and raw materials. But the idea is to turn this into a self-sustainable venture. We are getting them used to running a business,&rdquo; says Aditi Sabharwal from ADS. 
 
The venture seems to be on the right track. In the past one year, Ilham has taken part in quite a few popular cultural festivals organised here. According to ADS, it is fast becoming a rage in various embassies in New Delhi to order food from there. 
 
Meanwhile, another good news comes in. It is a big one. It is an invite from one of the biggest hotels in New Delhi to cook in the hotel&rsquo;s kitchen. 
 
&ldquo;It is overwhelming. We are a little scared because it is a luxury hotel kitchen. But this opportunity shows Ilham is working. The aim now is to get more such orders so that we have enough money to expand our business and to save for our families,&rdquo; says Ziagul, who wants Ilham to transform into a restaurant, before getting back to work. 
 
Tomorrow is going to be very busy for these Afghan women. A lot is riding on their shoulders: a good future for them and their families. And, possibly, the hope of thousands of displaced people.

Breaking away from the stereotype of disempowered refugees, six women from war-torn Afghanistan are seeking to turn their fortunes around

Clad in a black hijab tucked carefully to fit the frame of her face, 37-year-old Shaheen (name changed) is busy jotting down notes in Persian. The room is dimly lit and it’s a hot summer day in the Indian capital. She stops, her hands leave the diary to reach out for the calculator on the table. Five other veiled women sit around the table. They are speaking fluent Dari, one of the major languages spoken in Afghanistan. It is one animated conversation. Shaheen looks up and says, “We have to prepare food for 250 heads tomorrow. We are trying to decide who makes what. This is our biggest order till date and we are nervous. If they like the food, we are going to make good money.” The small room serves as an office for Ilham, a catering start-up run by six Afghan women, all of them single mothers living as refugees in New Delhi. The venture kicked off in 2015 with help from United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its implementing agency ACCESS Development Services (ADS). Their aim is to help these women achieve economic independence by putting their culinary skills to use. “The profit from our first order was 750 Indian Rupees ($11). It’s a really small amount but it was extremely significant for us. That’s how Ilham started,” says Ziagul, co-founder of the catering service. The menu is Afghan only and the food is home-cooked. A widow and a mother of five, Ziagul came to India in 2011 after she started receiving death threats from the Taliban. Her husband was killed by unidentified men back in 2001 but she continued to stay at her home in Herat, Afghanistan. It was only when she realised that her daughters were in danger that she decided to move to India. “My eldest daughter was a television reporter and my two younger daughters were child actresses in the Afghan film industry. The Taliban threatened us because they thought television was not a place for respectable women,” she says. Ilham is like a mind balm for these ladies who have seen their lives ripped apart in a land that has constantly witnessed conflict since the end of the 1970s. “The word Ilham means ‘positive’. After years of bloodshed and struggle, this is the only positive thing to have happened in our lives,” says Shaheen, the lone interpreter in the group. She picked up Hindi by watching Indian movies, she tells WIONews. Shaheen used to teach at a college in Kabul before her husband was abducted by the Taliban. “His friends say he was shot dead but I didn’t even get to see his body. I had to take care of four children. I did have a job but the situation became worse when my in-laws asked me to marry my husband’s brother. I refused and was tortured. And that's why I ran away with my children.” After making her way to New Delhi, Shaheen sustained her family by working as a domestic help before joining Ilham. It has been four years since she arrived here. She hasn’t been able to enrol her children in a school. “The money was never enough. We barely managed to eat and pay our rent. It’s kind of an irony that I had the best of education possible for a woman in that conflict-torn country and that my children are uneducated.” But Ilham has filled her with renewed hope. “Ever since I have joined the business, I see hope for them.” Refugee life for Nadira (name changed), the youngest in the group, has been tough because she does not understand Hindi. While the other women praise her recipe of Afghan dumplings, Nadira talks about her family. “I divorced my husband because he was abusive and a drug addict. Afghanistan is a hostile place for a separated woman. So, I decided to come to India with my daughter and younger siblings,” she says. Unlike Shaheen, Nadira has had little education. Ilham is her first taste of empowerment. “I see other women at Ilham as liberated Afghan women and that’s what I want to be,” she says. The Afghan ladies have attended workshops on enterprise development and teamwork. They have learned to deal with clients. Though the funding is non government organisation-backed (NGO-backed) at the moment, the women hope that Ilham will soon stand on its own feet. “The NGO is an implementing partner of UNHCR and we have provided these women with the banners, visiting cards and raw materials. But the idea is to turn this into a self-sustainable venture. We are getting them used to running a business,” says Aditi Sabharwal from ADS. The venture seems to be on the right track. In the past one year, Ilham has taken part in quite a few popular cultural festivals organised here. According to ADS, it is fast becoming a rage in various embassies in New Delhi to order food from there. Meanwhile, another good news comes in. It is a big one. It is an invite from one of the biggest hotels in New Delhi to cook in the hotel’s kitchen. “It is overwhelming. We are a little scared because it is a luxury hotel kitchen. But this opportunity shows Ilham is working. The aim now is to get more such orders so that we have enough money to expand our business and to save for our families,” says Ziagul, who wants Ilham to transform into a restaurant, before getting back to work. Tomorrow is going to be very busy for these Afghan women. A lot is riding on their shoulders: a good future for them and their families. And, possibly, the hope of thousands of displaced people.

Broth of hope: Afghan refugee women turn entrepreneurs

Last&nbsp;year &ndash; 2015 &ndash; was the worst year ever to be a journalist in South Asia.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Reporters are routinely threatened, attacked, jailed, and murdered every year in the region according to a new Reporters Without Borders report.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Working with the constant fear of being killed or hurt is no easy task. The feeling that something bad could happen at any time&nbsp;affects every aspect of your life. And you suddenly start feeling unsafe everywhere&nbsp;and all the time.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the World Press Freedom Index 2016,&nbsp;there has been a &ldquo;deep and disturbing&rdquo; decline in media freedom around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The news from South Asia is particularly bad. &ldquo;The media freedom situation worsened significantly or stagnated&rdquo; in the region the report says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Maldives came in at 112 out of 180 countries on the index. It turns out the country is not just an earthly paradise of palms and coral. Radical Islam has been gaining in strength in the archipelago; freedom of the press has been one of its victims.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Communication Authority of the Maldives&nbsp;which controls all communication in the country,&nbsp;including the media,&nbsp;launched the first attack on the press in 2011 by shutting down journalist Ismail&nbsp;Khilath&nbsp;Rasheed&#39;s blog accusing him of producing anti-Islamic material.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rasheed fought back&nbsp;by&nbsp;organising&nbsp;a small rally in the capital&nbsp;Mal?&nbsp;in support of the freedom of expression. He was attacked by a group of men armed with stones.&nbsp;They ended up fracturing his skull. A year later, while he was walking near his home, a man tried to slit his throat. Fortunately, the attacker missed a vital artery and Rasheed survived,&nbsp;but his attacker remains unidentified and at large.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The situation has not improved since. This April, the Maldivian police attacked a rally&#39;s participants demanding greater press freedom. Sixteen journalists were arrested.&nbsp;Four other reporters covering demonstrations against the imprisonment of former&nbsp;president&nbsp;Mohamed&nbsp;Nasheed&nbsp;were imprisoned.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There was good news,&nbsp;at least on paper,&nbsp;from Sri Lanka. The country moved 24 positions up the rankings as compared to 2014. Newly-elected President&nbsp;Maithripala&nbsp;Sirisena&#39;s government seems to be better for journalists. It lifted restrictions on foreign journalists visiting the country &ndash; they are now free to move about and no longer have to get their visas cleared by the&nbsp;defence&nbsp;ministry. And all exiled journalists have been invited to return to the country.&nbsp;

During the 10 years that Mahinda Rajapaksa was president, reporters allegedly received constant threats,&nbsp;and as many as 34 lost their lives. The murder of&nbsp;Lasantha&nbsp;Manilal&nbsp;Wickrematunge, founder of the newspaper The&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;Leader, remains unsolved. In 2009, while he was driving to office, armed motorcyclists flanked his car and shot him. The Sirisena government has now decided to reopen the case and, interestingly, his brother has been appointed Sri Lanka&#39;s consul general in Sidney.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pakistan remains the most dangerous place to work. Journalists in the country are faced with threats from all fronts &ndash; extremist groups,&nbsp;hardline&nbsp;Islamist&nbsp;organisations&nbsp;and government institutions. The resulting atmosphere of fear often leads to high levels of self-censorship.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Bangladesh,&nbsp;too,&nbsp;has become increasingly deadly for journalists. Several bloggers critical of Islamist extremists have recently been hacked to death; fundamentalist groups claimed responsibility for a number of the killings.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India is also surprisingly bad for reporters. Despite a lively media scene, the world&#39;s largest democracy does not seem to be a good place for a free press. India ranked 133rd on the World Press Freedom Index.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is also among the top 15 countries in which a reporter is most likely to face abuse&nbsp;and even Afghanistan fares better. The report states: &ldquo;The governments of India&hellip; took little action in response to violence against media personnel and were sometimes directly involved in violations of their freedom.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The report&#39;s findings are not just bad news for journalists, they&nbsp;are bad news for everybody.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Journalists&nbsp;can end up self-censoring if they&nbsp;find&nbsp;themselves threatened. That is perhaps the most dangerous threat to journalism.&nbsp; A journalist must question, verify versions, and find discrepancies. And if he does his job honestly and professionally&nbsp;it should be made public. Sometimes&nbsp;this means exposing influential people. A reporter who fears for his or her life might decide to look away, to pretend something just did&nbsp;not happen. That is exactly what ruins a good investigation. Fortunately, some journalists have been brave enough to continue reporting despite having&nbsp;been&nbsp;badly&nbsp;threatened,&nbsp;but this cannot&nbsp;and should not&nbsp;be the norm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Media is useful to society so long as it is independent and safe -- rights that any democratic government should protect.&nbsp;Media&nbsp;needs to be free to do its job without fear&nbsp;and&nbsp;to be effective.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Journalists in India more likely to face abuse than those in Afghanistan: Reporters Without Borders

Last year – 2015 – was the worst year ever to be a journalist in South Asia. Reporters are routinely threatened, attacked, jailed, and murdered every year in the region according to a new Reporters Without Borders report. Working with the constant fear of being killed or hurt is no easy task. The feeling that something bad could happen at any time affects every aspect of your life. And you suddenly start feeling unsafe everywhere and all the time. According to the World Press Freedom Index 2016, there has been a “deep and disturbing” decline in media freedom around the world. The news from South Asia is particularly bad. “The media freedom situation worsened significantly or stagnated” in the region the report says. The Maldives came in at 112 out of 180 countries on the index. It turns out the country is not just an earthly paradise of palms and coral. Radical Islam has been gaining in strength in the archipelago; freedom of the press has been one of its victims. The Communication Authority of the Maldives which controls all communication in the country, including the media, launched the first attack on the press in 2011 by shutting down journalist Ismail Khilath Rasheed's blog accusing him of producing anti-Islamic material. Rasheed fought back by organising a small rally in the capital Mal? in support of the freedom of expression. He was attacked by a group of men armed with stones. They ended up fracturing his skull. A year later, while he was walking near his home, a man tried to slit his throat. Fortunately, the attacker missed a vital artery and Rasheed survived, but his attacker remains unidentified and at large. The situation has not improved since. This April, the Maldivian police attacked a rally's participants demanding greater press freedom. Sixteen journalists were arrested. Four other reporters covering demonstrations against the imprisonment of former president Mohamed Nasheed were imprisoned. There was good news, at least on paper, from Sri Lanka. The country moved 24 positions up the rankings as compared to 2014. Newly-elected President Maithripala Sirisena's government seems to be better for journalists. It lifted restrictions on foreign journalists visiting the country – they are now free to move about and no longer have to get their visas cleared by the defence ministry. And all exiled journalists have been invited to return to the country. During the 10 years that Mahinda Rajapaksa was president, reporters allegedly received constant threats, and as many as 34 lost their lives. The murder of Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge, founder of the newspaper The Sunday Leader, remains unsolved. In 2009, while he was driving to office, armed motorcyclists flanked his car and shot him. The Sirisena government has now decided to reopen the case and, interestingly, his brother has been appointed Sri Lanka's consul general in Sidney. Pakistan remains the most dangerous place to work. Journalists in the country are faced with threats from all fronts – extremist groups, hardline Islamist organisations and government institutions. The resulting atmosphere of fear often leads to high levels of self-censorship. Bangladesh, too, has become increasingly deadly for journalists. Several bloggers critical of Islamist extremists have recently been hacked to death; fundamentalist groups claimed responsibility for a number of the killings. India is also surprisingly bad for reporters. Despite a lively media scene, the world's largest democracy does not seem to be a good place for a free press. India ranked 133rd on the World Press Freedom Index. It is also among the top 15 countries in which a reporter is most likely to face abuse and even Afghanistan fares better. The report states: “The governments of India… took little action in response to violence against media personnel and were sometimes directly involved in violations of their freedom.” The report's findings are not just bad news for journalists, they are bad news for everybody. Journalists can end up self-censoring if they find themselves threatened. That is perhaps the most dangerous threat to journalism. A journalist must question, verify versions, and find discrepancies. And if he does his job honestly and professionally it should be made public. Sometimes this means exposing influential people. A reporter who fears for his or her life might decide to look away, to pretend something just did not happen. That is exactly what ruins a good investigation. Fortunately, some journalists have been brave enough to continue reporting despite having been badly threatened, but this cannot and should not be the norm. Media is useful to society so long as it is independent and safe -- rights that any democratic government should protect. Media needs to be free to do its job without fear and to be effective.

2015 worst year for press freedom in South Asia

The US has appealed Pakistan and Afghanistan to reduce the ongoing tension following recent cross-border firing gunfire over the contentious fencing issue at north-western Torkham border crossing which resulted in casualties on both sides. 
 
&quot;I could tell you we are all watching the tensions very closely, that we are in touch with officials on both sides,&quot; State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday. 
 
He was responding to questions on tensions between the two South Asian neighbours in aftermath of the cross firing across the border. 
In the firing, an Afghan border guard was killed while three Pakistani soldiers, including a senior army official and and nine civilians were injured. 
 
&quot;We continue to urge a calm resolution to the tension. We obviously don&#39;t want to see clashes; we don&#39;t want to see violence; we don&#39;t want to see it get worse,&quot; he said. 
 
The Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Olson, was in the two countries over the weekend. 
 
In Islamabad, Olson met with government officials, including Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif, to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues. 
 
In Kabul, he met with Afghan government officials to include President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, and National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar. 
 
He also met with Resolute Support Commander, General John Nicholson, Kirby said. 
(PTI)

Cross-border firing on June 13 at the north-western Torkham border have escalated tensions between the two neighbouring countries

The US has appealed Pakistan and Afghanistan to reduce the ongoing tension following recent cross-border firing gunfire over the contentious fencing issue at north-western Torkham border crossing which resulted in casualties on both sides. "I could tell you we are all watching the tensions very closely, that we are in touch with officials on both sides," State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters yesterday. He was responding to questions on tensions between the two South Asian neighbours in aftermath of the cross firing across the border. In the firing, an Afghan border guard was killed while three Pakistani soldiers, including a senior army official and and nine civilians were injured. "We continue to urge a calm resolution to the tension. We obviously don't want to see clashes; we don't want to see violence; we don't want to see it get worse," he said. The Special US Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Olson, was in the two countries over the weekend. In Islamabad, Olson met with government officials, including Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif, to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues. In Kabul, he met with Afghan government officials to include President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, and National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar. He also met with Resolute Support Commander, General John Nicholson, Kirby said. (PTI)

US appeals to Afghanistan and Pakistan to calm tensions

US President Barack Obama may not decide before the NATO summit next month whether to alter plans to nearly halve America&#39;s forces in Afghanistan, a diplomat and a US official said. 
 
A decision had been expected at or before the summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 on whether to stick to plans to slash the 9,800 troops to 5,500 before Obama leaves office next year. 
 
Former commanders and envoys have warned that it would be a mistake. And with preparations in full swing for the summit, the timing of any decision by Obama remains unclear. 
 
US defence secretary Ash Carter flies to Brussels on Monday to meet NATO counterparts, with Afghanistan expected to be high on the agenda. 
 
One reason to decide on slowing the US drawdown before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan, where President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government is battling a Taliban insurgency that has gathered fresh momentum. 
 
NATO allies seem less intent on cutting their troop presence, which could give Obama more time to formulate and telegraph his own plans. 
 
&quot;We have been moderately, pleasantly surprised at the willingness to stay at current levels of most other allies, and some willingness to consider increasing,&quot; said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
&quot;Just because there is a summit doesn&rsquo;t mean (you) need a decision,&quot; he added. 
 
To be sure, Afghanistan will be a major issue at the summit and Obama still could make a decision before then. 
 
&quot;It does not have to happen by Warsaw but it certainly will be a topic there,&quot; said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. &quot;The size and scope of other nation contributions are a logical consideration in our decision-making.&quot; 
 
The White House has yet to receive the recommendations from its new commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who conducted a comprehensive security review during his first 90 days on the job. The review&#39;s results have not been made public. 
 
In a sign of his willingness to broaden the US role in Afghanistan, Obama last week approved giving the US military greater ability to accompany and to enable Afghan forces in offensive operations, including carrying out air strikes. 
 
Speaking on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the decision to broaden the remit &quot;does not limit in any way our ability to follow through with the plan to draw down our troops at a level of 5,500 troops by the end of this year.&quot; 
 
Obama would consider changing the troop numbers if Nicholson recommended that, Earnest said. 
 
Nicholson&#39;s predecessors and former US envoys to Afghanistan urged Obama earlier this month to keep troop levels steady at near 10,000 through the remainder of his term. 
 
&quot;This approach would also allow your successor to assess the situation for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly,&quot; the letter read. &nbsp; 
 
Cutting the forces to 5,500, in turn, would erode the morale of Afghan government forces and bolster the Taliban, they wrote. 
 
Obama has already scaled back the troop withdrawal plans he laid out in May 2014, when he pledged to cut to roughly 5,000 by end 2015 and to &quot;a normal embassy presence ... with a security assistance component, just as we&#39;ve done in Iraq&quot; by the end of 2016. 
 
Among the factors weighing in his troop decision include how much, if any, additional support he may get from other NATO nations; the signal that a cut will send to Ghani and to the Taliban; and what kind of legacy he leaves his successor.

One reason for the slow US draw down before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama may not decide before the NATO summit next month whether to alter plans to nearly halve America's forces in Afghanistan, a diplomat and a US official said. A decision had been expected at or before the summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 on whether to stick to plans to slash the 9,800 troops to 5,500 before Obama leaves office next year. Former commanders and envoys have warned that it would be a mistake. And with preparations in full swing for the summit, the timing of any decision by Obama remains unclear. US defence secretary Ash Carter flies to Brussels on Monday to meet NATO counterparts, with Afghanistan expected to be high on the agenda. One reason to decide on slowing the US drawdown before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan, where President Ashraf Ghani's government is battling a Taliban insurgency that has gathered fresh momentum. NATO allies seem less intent on cutting their troop presence, which could give Obama more time to formulate and telegraph his own plans. "We have been moderately, pleasantly surprised at the willingness to stay at current levels of most other allies, and some willingness to consider increasing," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Just because there is a summit doesn’t mean (you) need a decision," he added. To be sure, Afghanistan will be a major issue at the summit and Obama still could make a decision before then. "It does not have to happen by Warsaw but it certainly will be a topic there," said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The size and scope of other nation contributions are a logical consideration in our decision-making." The White House has yet to receive the recommendations from its new commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who conducted a comprehensive security review during his first 90 days on the job. The review's results have not been made public. In a sign of his willingness to broaden the US role in Afghanistan, Obama last week approved giving the US military greater ability to accompany and to enable Afghan forces in offensive operations, including carrying out air strikes. Speaking on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the decision to broaden the remit "does not limit in any way our ability to follow through with the plan to draw down our troops at a level of 5,500 troops by the end of this year." Obama would consider changing the troop numbers if Nicholson recommended that, Earnest said. Nicholson's predecessors and former US envoys to Afghanistan urged Obama earlier this month to keep troop levels steady at near 10,000 through the remainder of his term. "This approach would also allow your successor to assess the situation for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly," the letter read. Cutting the forces to 5,500, in turn, would erode the morale of Afghan government forces and bolster the Taliban, they wrote. Obama has already scaled back the troop withdrawal plans he laid out in May 2014, when he pledged to cut to roughly 5,000 by end 2015 and to "a normal embassy presence ... with a security assistance component, just as we've done in Iraq" by the end of 2016. Among the factors weighing in his troop decision include how much, if any, additional support he may get from other NATO nations; the signal that a cut will send to Ghani and to the Taliban; and what kind of legacy he leaves his successor.

Decision to halve US troops in Afghanistan unlikely by Warsaw summit

&nbsp;The NPR photojournalist and his Afghan colleague killed in Afghanistan on Sunday died on the first day of an embed with local troops, highlighting the risks for reporters in a country where increasing amounts of territory are off-limits. 
 
Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country. 
 
The NPR team, including Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva, had just spent several days with coalition troops, including U.S. special forces, before they went over to an Afghan unit, said Colonel Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. 
 
The team spent Sunday morning in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah interviewing local officials, according to Shakil Ahmad Tasal, a public affairs officer for the 205th Corps who accompanied the NPR team during the drive. 
 
The team carried a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Defence, directing the soldiers to escort them to the town of Marjah, roughly 30 km (18 miles) away, he said. 
 
While Lashkar Gah has remained in government control, some surrounding areas of Helmand have been under serious pressure from Islamist militants from the Taliban insurgency. 
 
Earlier this year in Marjah, U.S. forces conducted several air strikes to help beleaguered Afghan troops, and a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed and two others were wounded during a Taliban attack. 
 
On Sunday afternoon, a convoy of six lightly armoured Humvees, which also carried an Afghan general, was nearing Marjah when Taliban gunmen opened fire, pelting the vehicles with small arms and rocket fire. 
 
&quot;We were taking very heavy fire,&quot; Tasal told Reuters. 
 
The Humvee carrying Tamanna and Gilkey was hit by a shell and caught fire, killing the journalists and the soldier driving the vehicle, according to witnesses and NPR. 
 
DOZENS FORM GUARD OF HONOUR 
 
A gunfight raged for at least 30 minutes before coalition and Afghan aircraft arrived overhead, apparently prompting the Taliban to break off the attack, Tasal said. 
 
The coalition said its aircraft provided surveillance for the Afghans, while attack aircraft were put on standby but never launched. 
 
The other two NPR staffers, travelling in another vehicle, were unharmed. 
 
A veteran photojournalist, Gilkey, 50, had reported from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and won awards for covering veterans issues in the United States and the ebola breakout in Africa. 
 
In a video posted by NPR on May 13, just prior to his departure for Afghanistan, Gilkey described a desire to get close to what is happening. 
 
&quot;What I always try to show in my pictures is what it&#39;s like for the guys on the ground that are having to operate there,&quot; he said. 
 
Like many Afghan journalists who perform the lion&#39;s share of the work covering their country, Tamanna had worked for a variety of foreign outlets, including the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Turkey&#39;s Anadolu News Agency. 
 
Qualified journalists in their own right, Afghans like Tamanna are often contracted to provide translation and other help for foreign reporters. 
 
&quot;He was a very honest, responsible person and loved his country,&quot; Haroon Sabawoon, a friend and business partner, said of Tamanna. &quot;He was very polite, calm and had high hopes for peace and security.&quot; 
 
Tamanna, 38, left behind a wife and three children. 
 
Afghan troops recovered the bodies of the slain journalists and handed them over to coalition forces at Camp Shorab, where the team had just previously been embedded with American troops, Lawhorn said. 
 
&quot;Dozens and dozens&quot; of U.S. troops at the base formed an honour guard, stood to attention and saluted when the journalists&#39; remains arrived, Bowman reported to NPR. 
 
Coalition CH-47 helicopters then transported them to the base at Kandahar Air Field, Lawhorn said.

Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country.

The NPR photojournalist and his Afghan colleague killed in Afghanistan on Sunday died on the first day of an embed with local troops, highlighting the risks for reporters in a country where increasing amounts of territory are off-limits. Photographer David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna, an Afghan journalist working as a translator, were killed in a Taliban ambush shortly after joining Afghan troops in Helmand province, one of the most volatile areas in the country. The NPR team, including Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Monika Evstatieva, had just spent several days with coalition troops, including U.S. special forces, before they went over to an Afghan unit, said Colonel Michael Lawhorn, a spokesman for the NATO-led military coalition. The team spent Sunday morning in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah interviewing local officials, according to Shakil Ahmad Tasal, a public affairs officer for the 205th Corps who accompanied the NPR team during the drive. The team carried a letter from the Afghan Ministry of Defence, directing the soldiers to escort them to the town of Marjah, roughly 30 km (18 miles) away, he said. While Lashkar Gah has remained in government control, some surrounding areas of Helmand have been under serious pressure from Islamist militants from the Taliban insurgency. Earlier this year in Marjah, U.S. forces conducted several air strikes to help beleaguered Afghan troops, and a U.S. Special Forces soldier was killed and two others were wounded during a Taliban attack. On Sunday afternoon, a convoy of six lightly armoured Humvees, which also carried an Afghan general, was nearing Marjah when Taliban gunmen opened fire, pelting the vehicles with small arms and rocket fire. "We were taking very heavy fire," Tasal told Reuters. The Humvee carrying Tamanna and Gilkey was hit by a shell and caught fire, killing the journalists and the soldier driving the vehicle, according to witnesses and NPR. DOZENS FORM GUARD OF HONOUR A gunfight raged for at least 30 minutes before coalition and Afghan aircraft arrived overhead, apparently prompting the Taliban to break off the attack, Tasal said. The coalition said its aircraft provided surveillance for the Afghans, while attack aircraft were put on standby but never launched. The other two NPR staffers, travelling in another vehicle, were unharmed. A veteran photojournalist, Gilkey, 50, had reported from Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, and won awards for covering veterans issues in the United States and the ebola breakout in Africa. In a video posted by NPR on May 13, just prior to his departure for Afghanistan, Gilkey described a desire to get close to what is happening. "What I always try to show in my pictures is what it's like for the guys on the ground that are having to operate there," he said. Like many Afghan journalists who perform the lion's share of the work covering their country, Tamanna had worked for a variety of foreign outlets, including the Chinese news agency Xinhua and Turkey's Anadolu News Agency. Qualified journalists in their own right, Afghans like Tamanna are often contracted to provide translation and other help for foreign reporters. "He was a very honest, responsible person and loved his country," Haroon Sabawoon, a friend and business partner, said of Tamanna. "He was very polite, calm and had high hopes for peace and security." Tamanna, 38, left behind a wife and three children. Afghan troops recovered the bodies of the slain journalists and handed them over to coalition forces at Camp Shorab, where the team had just previously been embedded with American troops, Lawhorn said. "Dozens and dozens" of U.S. troops at the base formed an honour guard, stood to attention and saluted when the journalists' remains arrived, Bowman reported to NPR. Coalition CH-47 helicopters then transported them to the base at Kandahar Air Field, Lawhorn said.

Embed quickly turned deadly for NPR team in Afghanistan

The Taliban killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens of others today after pulling them from buses in northern Afghanistan in the latest assault since the insurgents named a new leader last week, officials said. 
The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident in Aliabad district in the volatile province of Kunduz, where the insurgents briefly overran the provincial capital in a stunning military victory last year. 
&quot;The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others,&quot; said Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province. 
Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal gave a death toll of 17. 
&quot;They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police,&quot; he said. 
The Afghan Taliban last Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile religious figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike.

The Taliban haven't commented on the killings so far, but the spokesman of the governor of the Kunduz province has ascertained the same.

The Taliban killed at least 16 people and kidnapped dozens of others today after pulling them from buses in northern Afghanistan in the latest assault since the insurgents named a new leader last week, officials said. The Taliban have so far not commented on the incident in Aliabad district in the volatile province of Kunduz, where the insurgents briefly overran the provincial capital in a stunning military victory last year. "The Taliban shot dead 16 passengers and they are still holding more than 30 others," said Sayed Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the governor of Kunduz province. Police commander Shir Aziz Kamawal gave a death toll of 17. "They (Taliban) have released some passengers but are holding many others. None of the passengers were wearing military uniform, but some may have been former police," he said. The Afghan Taliban last Wednesday announced Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader, elevating a low-profile religious figure in a swift power transition after officially confirming the death of Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike.

Taliban kill 16 bus passengers in northern Afghanistan

After a break of 20 years,&nbsp;Afghanistan&#39;s first&nbsp;cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln.

In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction.

&quot;By selling our products and improving the factory&#39;s production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad,&quot; said Amir Mohammad. &quot;If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children.&quot;

But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernised.

Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 workers, is a small factory with daily capacity of 100 tonnes and equipment that is at least 40 years out of date, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2011 report.

&quot;We&#39;ve tried our best and got the factory running using its old machinery,&quot; said Abdul Wakil, one of a group of former workers who have returned to help get the plant working again. &quot;As long as we have electricity, it will work.&quot;

Talks with a private operator to develop a separate, larger plant at Jabal Saraj have run for months, but for now, the government has decided the old plant still serves a purpose, a spokesman for the country&#39;s mines and petroleum ministry said.

&quot;This old factory is useful and has a profitable production capacity,&quot; Mohyaddin Noori added. &quot;It provides job opportunities.&quot;

Afghanistan&#39;s only other major&nbsp;cement&nbsp;manufacturer, the Ghori&nbsp;cement&nbsp;plant, has daily capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes, but domestic industry is dwarfed by the millions of tonnes of imports from neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran.

That fierce competition makes it tough to find domestically produced&nbsp;cement&nbsp;in Kabul&#39;s main wholesale markets, even despite the fact that domestic&nbsp;cement&#39;s bulk and relatively low cost should penalize foreign&nbsp;cement, trucked in hundreds of miles.

&quot;We have only Pakistani&nbsp;cement,&quot; said trader Ershad Shinwari. &quot;Afghan-made&nbsp;cement&nbsp;is not coming to us.&quot;

Demand for building materials has fallen sharply since international forces left in 2014 but the market has not collapsed and director Mohammadi hopes for domestic growth.

&quot;There is huge demand for&nbsp;cement&nbsp;in&nbsp;Afghanistan,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ve got the factory working, so it will give investors a chance.&quot;

For the moment, however, Jabal Saraj relies on government subsidy to survive. The economics may be tough, but it is people nearby who are mainly looking for work.

&quot;We ask the other countries to help this factory and provide new machinery to replace the old machines,&quot; said plant worker Wazir Mohammad.

&quot;It will be very useful for our people as long as there is poverty in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;and everyone suffers insecurity.&quot;

After a break of 20 years,?Afghanistan's first?cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995.

After a break of 20 years, Afghanistan's first cementfactory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln. In an area desperately short of industry and jobs, workers hope the relaunch of the plant, built by Czech engineers in 1957 and shut by the Taliban in 1995, heralds the revival of an industry shattered by decades of war and destruction. "By selling our products and improving the factory's production, we can avoid having our young generation go abroad," said Amir Mohammad. "If there are job possibilities, they can stay with their families and look after their children." But the outdated state-owned plant 75 km (47 miles) outside Kabul also shows how far there is to go before that promise can be achieved and there are serious questions whether the plant has a viable future unless it is thoroughly modernised. Jabal Saraj, which now employs 150 workers, is a small factory with daily capacity of 100 tonnes and equipment that is at least 40 years out of date, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a 2011 report. "We've tried our best and got the factory running using its old machinery," said Abdul Wakil, one of a group of former workers who have returned to help get the plant working again. "As long as we have electricity, it will work." Talks with a private operator to develop a separate, larger plant at Jabal Saraj have run for months, but for now, the government has decided the old plant still serves a purpose, a spokesman for the country's mines and petroleum ministry said. "This old factory is useful and has a profitable production capacity," Mohyaddin Noori added. "It provides job opportunities." Afghanistan's only other major cement manufacturer, the Ghori cement plant, has daily capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes, but domestic industry is dwarfed by the millions of tonnes of imports from neighbours, including Pakistan and Iran. That fierce competition makes it tough to find domestically produced cement in Kabul's main wholesale markets, even despite the fact that domestic cement's bulk and relatively low cost should penalize foreign cement, trucked in hundreds of miles. "We have only Pakistani cement," said trader Ershad Shinwari. "Afghan-made cement is not coming to us." Demand for building materials has fallen sharply since international forces left in 2014 but the market has not collapsed and director Mohammadi hopes for domestic growth. "There is huge demand for cement in Afghanistan," he said. "We've got the factory working, so it will give investors a chance." For the moment, however, Jabal Saraj relies on government subsidy to survive. The economics may be tough, but it is people nearby who are mainly looking for work. "We ask the other countries to help this factory and provide new machinery to replace the old machines," said plant worker Wazir Mohammad. "It will be very useful for our people as long as there is poverty in Afghanistan and everyone suffers insecurity."

Hopes and fears for jobs as Afghan cement factory reopens

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