Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack near a training facility of Afghanistan&rsquo;s main intelligence agency in the capital, Kabul, on Monday as gunmen exchanged fire with security forces.

Details of the attack remained unclear after a group of armed men seized a building under construction in a heavily populated area of the city.

&ldquo;The number of attackers, possible casualties and their target is not yet clear,&rdquo; said Najib Danish, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.

The Afshar area of Kabul where the attack was underway is close to a training facility of the National Directorate of Security, the main Afghan intelligence agency, as well as a private university.

Another government official said the attack was near the intelligence agency training centre.

Islamic State claimed responsibility in a statement on its Amaq news agency, in which it said two of its fighters had attacked an intelligence agency centre in Kabul.

The group, which first appeared in Afghanistan in 2015, has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Kabul over the past several months.

But much remains unknown about how it operates and many observers are sceptical about its ability to mount complex attacks on its own.

&quot;Around 10:10 am, a group of armed attackers entered an under-construction building in (the) NDS training centre in (the) Afshar area of Kabul,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP, referring to the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan&#39;s spy agency.

&quot;The fighting is ongoing and we have also launched our operation.&quot;

Nasrat Rahim, a deputy interior ministry spokesman, said the sound of large and small arms fire could be heard from the fighting.&nbsp;

&quot;There are three attackers involved... the clearance operation is ongoing,&quot; said the spokesman, adding there were no immediate reports of any casualties.

Roads to the area were closed and dozens of police and intelligence officers were blocking access to the public. AFP reporters, who were held more than a kilometre away from the scene, saw ambulances and reinforcements headed towards the site.

&quot;I was going toward my school. It (the attack) happened suddenly... the police arrived in the area fast and blocked the roads, not allowing anyone to get to their homes,&quot; Naweed, a student, told AFP.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda arm.

&quot;Two IS attackers raid the Afghan intelligence centre in Kabul,&quot; the jihadists&#39; Amaq outlet reported.

The Afghan capital has become one of the deadliest places in the war-torn country for civilians in recent months, as the resurgent Taliban and increasingly IS both step up their attacks, targeting security installations and mosques.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the city&#39;s diplomatic quarter, killing about 150 and wounding around 400 people, mostly civilians.

No group has officially claimed responsibility for that attack, which the government has blamed on the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network.

Monday&#39;s attack represents another blow to beleaguered Afghan forces.&nbsp;

The Taliban have targeted military installations in recent months, including a spate of attacks in October that killed around 150 people.

Afghan forces, already beset by desertions and corruption, have seen casualties soar to what a US watchdog has described as &quot;shockingly high&quot; levels since NATO forces officially ended their combat mission in 2014.

Morale has been further eroded by long-running fears that the militants have insider help -- everything from infiltrators in the ranks to corrupt Afghan forces selling equipment to the Taliban.

But IS, which has expanded its presence in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, has also dramatically scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on the country&#39;s Shiite minority.

In November, a suicide attacker blew himself up outside a political gathering in Kabul, killing at least 14 people in an attack claimed by IS.

The number of attackers, possible casualties and their target is not yet clear

Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack near a training facility of Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency in the capital, Kabul, on Monday as gunmen exchanged fire with security forces. Details of the attack remained unclear after a group of armed men seized a building under construction in a heavily populated area of the city. “The number of attackers, possible casualties and their target is not yet clear,” said Najib Danish, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior. The Afshar area of Kabul where the attack was underway is close to a training facility of the National Directorate of Security, the main Afghan intelligence agency, as well as a private university. Another government official said the attack was near the intelligence agency training centre. Islamic State claimed responsibility in a statement on its Amaq news agency, in which it said two of its fighters had attacked an intelligence agency centre in Kabul. The group, which first appeared in Afghanistan in 2015, has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Kabul over the past several months. But much remains unknown about how it operates and many observers are sceptical about its ability to mount complex attacks on its own. "Around 10:10 am, a group of armed attackers entered an under-construction building in (the) NDS training centre in (the) Afshar area of Kabul," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP, referring to the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's spy agency. "The fighting is ongoing and we have also launched our operation." Nasrat Rahim, a deputy interior ministry spokesman, said the sound of large and small arms fire could be heard from the fighting. "There are three attackers involved... the clearance operation is ongoing," said the spokesman, adding there were no immediate reports of any casualties. Roads to the area were closed and dozens of police and intelligence officers were blocking access to the public. AFP reporters, who were held more than a kilometre away from the scene, saw ambulances and reinforcements headed towards the site. "I was going toward my school. It (the attack) happened suddenly... the police arrived in the area fast and blocked the roads, not allowing anyone to get to their homes," Naweed, a student, told AFP. IS claimed responsibility for the attack through its propaganda arm. "Two IS attackers raid the Afghan intelligence centre in Kabul," the jihadists' Amaq outlet reported. The Afghan capital has become one of the deadliest places in the war-torn country for civilians in recent months, as the resurgent Taliban and increasingly IS both step up their attacks, targeting security installations and mosques. Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the city's diplomatic quarter, killing about 150 and wounding around 400 people, mostly civilians. No group has officially claimed responsibility for that attack, which the government has blamed on the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network. Monday's attack represents another blow to beleaguered Afghan forces. The Taliban have targeted military installations in recent months, including a spate of attacks in October that killed around 150 people. Afghan forces, already beset by desertions and corruption, have seen casualties soar to what a US watchdog has described as "shockingly high" levels since NATO forces officially ended their combat mission in 2014. Morale has been further eroded by long-running fears that the militants have insider help -- everything from infiltrators in the ranks to corrupt Afghan forces selling equipment to the Taliban. But IS, which has expanded its presence in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, has also dramatically scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on the country's Shiite minority. In November, a suicide attacker blew himself up outside a political gathering in Kabul, killing at least 14 people in an attack claimed by IS.

Islamic State claims attack on Kabul spy centre

Afghanistan&rsquo;s economy is expected to grow 2.6 per cent this year, up slightly from the previous year despite deteriorating security, the World Bank said in a report on Tuesday.

While the figure is up from 2.2 per cent last year, it does not keep up with the country&rsquo;s population growth of roughly 3 per cent, meaning that gross domestic product per capita continues to decline.

&ldquo;In the next three to four years, there are things that can be done to boost growth to between 4 and 5 per cent,&rdquo; said Shubham Chaudhuri, the World&rsquo;s Bank&rsquo;s Country Director for Afghanistan.

Chaudhuri, presenting a report on Afghanistan&rsquo;s economy at the World Bank&rsquo;s fortified headquarters in Kabul, said that agriculture, mineral attraction, and the country&rsquo;s youth were its biggest assets, as well as its geography as a regional land bridge.

The improved growth outlook will be welcomed by President Ashraf Ghani, whose technocrat government is seen as unstable but appears to be making the reforms that international donors - who provide more than half of Afghanistan&rsquo;s funding - have been seeking.

Parliamentary elections are due to be held next year, with a presidential vote expected in 2019.

Business sentiment is also on the rise, the World Bank said, though it is still lower than in 2014 when most foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan.

Growth is significantly below the &ldquo;war economy&rdquo; figures of the late 2000s, which saw annual rises averaging nearly 10 per cent, but the World Bank believes it will continue to rise.

The organisation projects 3.2 per cent growth next year, though that assumes no deterioration in the country&rsquo;s security. This appears unlikely given a recent increase in attacks by various militant groups.

One of the major tests for Afghanistan&rsquo;s stability after a U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban government a decade and a half ago is its ability to collect taxes.

Tax revenue in the first eight months of the year was 13 per cent higher than the same period last year, the World Bank said.

The country has long been plagued by corruption and tax evasion.

Inflation remains in the single-digits, with consumer prices up 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to September.

While the figure is up from 2.2% last year, it does not keep up with the country?s population growth of roughly 3%, meaning that gross domestic product per capita continues to decline

Afghanistan’s economy is expected to grow 2.6 per cent this year, up slightly from the previous year despite deteriorating security, the World Bank said in a report on Tuesday. While the figure is up from 2.2 per cent last year, it does not keep up with the country’s population growth of roughly 3 per cent, meaning that gross domestic product per capita continues to decline. “In the next three to four years, there are things that can be done to boost growth to between 4 and 5 per cent,” said Shubham Chaudhuri, the World’s Bank’s Country Director for Afghanistan. Chaudhuri, presenting a report on Afghanistan’s economy at the World Bank’s fortified headquarters in Kabul, said that agriculture, mineral attraction, and the country’s youth were its biggest assets, as well as its geography as a regional land bridge. The improved growth outlook will be welcomed by President Ashraf Ghani, whose technocrat government is seen as unstable but appears to be making the reforms that international donors - who provide more than half of Afghanistan’s funding - have been seeking. Parliamentary elections are due to be held next year, with a presidential vote expected in 2019. Business sentiment is also on the rise, the World Bank said, though it is still lower than in 2014 when most foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan. Growth is significantly below the “war economy” figures of the late 2000s, which saw annual rises averaging nearly 10 per cent, but the World Bank believes it will continue to rise. The organisation projects 3.2 per cent growth next year, though that assumes no deterioration in the country’s security. This appears unlikely given a recent increase in attacks by various militant groups. One of the major tests for Afghanistan’s stability after a U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban government a decade and a half ago is its ability to collect taxes. Tax revenue in the first eight months of the year was 13 per cent higher than the same period last year, the World Bank said. The country has long been plagued by corruption and tax evasion. Inflation remains in the single-digits, with consumer prices up 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to September.

Afghanistan's economy on slow rise, to grow 2.6% this year: World Bank

At least eight policemen and 10 civilians were killed in a suicide attack that took place outside a restaurant in Kabul on Thursday afternoon, security officials confirmed to Afghan channel Tolo News.

The explosion took place at Khair Khana near the Lab-e-Jar square in Kabul city. A&nbsp;number of senior officials of the Jamiat-e-Islami party had gathered in the area, the report added, citing eyewitnesses.

The officials were supporters of&nbsp;Balkh Atta Mohammad Noor, the chief of the mainly ethnic Tajik party and the powerful governor of the northern province, AFP and Reuters reported, adding that it was not clear if the politician was at the meeting at the time of the attack.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility, according to Amaq, its official news agency. The Taliban denied involvement, Reuters reported.

Video:

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The attack took place outside a restaurant in the PD4 area (Reuters,Others)
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Afghan president Ashraf Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack as a &quot;criminal act&quot;.

A police spokesperson told AFP that the bomber tried to get into the building but was stopped at the security checkpoint where he detonated himself.

At least three cars were also destroyed, eyewitnesses told Tolo News. The area has been cordoned off.

Kabul has been rocked by a series of explosions in the last one year.

This is the&nbsp;second attack this year against a Jamiat gathering.&nbsp; 
 
In June, at least seven people were killed and more than 119 wounded in three separate explosions at the funeral of a son of a Jamiat leader in Kabul. The son had been killed in a shooting during a protest rally the previous day.&nbsp; 
 
Political tensions are up as politicians have begun jockeying for position ahead of presidential elections expected in 2019.

At least eight policemen and 10 civilians were killed in the suicide attack, Afghan channel Tolo News reported

At least eight policemen and 10 civilians were killed in a suicide attack that took place outside a restaurant in Kabul on Thursday afternoon, security officials confirmed to Afghan channel Tolo News. The explosion took place at Khair Khana near the Lab-e-Jar square in Kabul city. A number of senior officials of the Jamiat-e-Islami party had gathered in the area, the report added, citing eyewitnesses. The officials were supporters of Balkh Atta Mohammad Noor, the chief of the mainly ethnic Tajik party and the powerful governor of the northern province, AFP and Reuters reported, adding that it was not clear if the politician was at the meeting at the time of the attack. The Islamic State claimed responsibility, according to Amaq, its official news agency. The Taliban denied involvement, Reuters reported. Video: The attack took place outside a restaurant in the PD4 area (Reuters,Others) × Afghan president Ashraf Ghani issued a statement condemning the attack as a "criminal act". A police spokesperson told AFP that the bomber tried to get into the building but was stopped at the security checkpoint where he detonated himself. At least three cars were also destroyed, eyewitnesses told Tolo News. The area has been cordoned off. Kabul has been rocked by a series of explosions in the last one year. This is the second attack this year against a Jamiat gathering. In June, at least seven people were killed and more than 119 wounded in three separate explosions at the funeral of a son of a Jamiat leader in Kabul. The son had been killed in a shooting during a protest rally the previous day. Political tensions are up as politicians have begun jockeying for position ahead of presidential elections expected in 2019.

Kabul: 18 killed in suicide attack outside political gathering

Islamic State <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gunmen-storm-kabul-tv-station-in-ongoing-attack-employee-23653">has claimed has responsibility for the attack </a>on the TV station in Afghanistan&#39;s capital Kabul.

At least one person <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/suicide-bombers-gunmen-attack-afghan-police-training-centre-officials-22527">was killed in the attack after gunmen stormed </a>the station. The terrorists had fired rocket-propelled grenades at the guards, AFP reported.&nbsp;

The terrorist organization&#39;s news agency Amaq said it was behind the attack.

&quot;I saw three attackers on security cameras entering the TV station building. They first shot the guard and then entered the building. They started throwing grenades and firing,&quot; Shamshad TV reporter Faisal Zaland, who escaped through a back door, told AFP.

&quot;Many of my colleagues are still in the building,&quot; he added.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish had said as many as three attackers were involved in the assault.

Taliban had denied involvement in the attack on Twitter.

The attack came to an end after Afghan security forces rescued the staff inside.

At least one person was killed in the attack after gunmen stormed the TV station in Kabul

Islamic State has claimed has responsibility for the attack on the TV station in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. At least one person was killed in the attack after gunmen stormed the station. The terrorists had fired rocket-propelled grenades at the guards, AFP reported. The terrorist organization's news agency Amaq said it was behind the attack. "I saw three attackers on security cameras entering the TV station building. They first shot the guard and then entered the building. They started throwing grenades and firing," Shamshad TV reporter Faisal Zaland, who escaped through a back door, told AFP. "Many of my colleagues are still in the building," he added. Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish had said as many as three attackers were involved in the assault. Taliban had denied involvement in the attack on Twitter. The attack came to an end after Afghan security forces rescued the staff inside.

Kabul: Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on TV station

India-Afghanistan relations have come a long way in a short span of time. Arguably, no two other South Asian countries have a comparable strong bonding as these two. Not only is Afghanistan today seeking greater engagement with New Delhi, something which Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani re-emphasised during his recent visit to India but even the US is calling upon India to play a larger role there (as is evident in Washington DC&rsquo;s recently unveiled Afghanistan and India policies).

Given that India&rsquo;s contribution so far has been largely in the areas of developmental work and somewhat limited in defence matters, it is evident that both the Trump administration and Kabul are expecting New Delhi to ramp up Indo-Afghan defence cooperation even if it leaves Pakistan rattled. India is unlikely to put its military boots on the ground there, but short of that, the sky appears to be the limit.

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<h5>Afghanistan had opposed the entry of Pakistan into the United Nations, and also that Kabul had not officially recognised the Durand Line which divides Afghanistan from Pakistan and serves as the de facto border.</h5>
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Such is the current euphoria, admittedly justifiable, that few would remember or want to remember that the two nations had not seen eye to eye on many issues critical to New Delhi in the recent past. This, despite the emotional Kabuliwala, connect, the fact that Afghanistan had opposed the entry of Pakistan into the United Nations, and also that Kabul had not (it still has not) officially recognised the Durand Line which divides Afghanistan from Pakistan and serves as the de facto border.

The first real indication came during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. New Delhi had then raised the pitch to counter Pakistan&rsquo;s call for people&rsquo;s right to self-determination in Jammu &amp; Kashmir and even Nagaland. It said that Pakistan must then agree to self-determination in East Pakistan, Balochistan and &#39;Pakhtoonistan&rsquo;. Kabul ought to have been happy with that remark given that it believes that the Pakhtun-dominated regions had wrongly gone to Pakistan as a result of the Durand divide. Yet, Afghanistan did not back India during the war.

In fact, Kabul had registered an official protest against the Indian forces for targeting Peshawar and Kohat. This may be explained away on the pretext that Afghanistan considered the two as being its part. But then it had until then done nothing to forcefully present its case before the international community.

More importantly, Afghanistan had not criticised Pakistan&rsquo;s aggression which were codenamed Operation Gibraltar and Operation Grand Slam and whose aim was to secede Kashmir from India. Some media reports of the day had quoted Afghan king Zahir Shah (in Foreign Affairs Records) as placating Pakistan&rsquo;s Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: &ldquo;I as a king, give you assurance, I as a Muslim give you assurance, I as an Afghan give you assurance, that we are with you and we will never betray you.&rdquo; Kabul later denied the statement, but the damage had been done.

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<h5>Pakistan&rsquo;s penchant to damage India&rsquo;s relations with Afghanistan and play mischief to achieve that end, something that it continues to indulge in even today.</h5>
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In an interview, senior Indian diplomat Chinmaya Gharekhan had said that Afghanistan &ldquo;never sided with India in India&rsquo;s disputes with Pakistan&hellip; on issues like Kashmir, we have not had any support from Afghanistan&rdquo;.

It must be said here that given Pakistan&rsquo;s penchant to damage India&rsquo;s relations with Afghanistan and play mischief to achieve that end - something that it continues to indulge in even today -&nbsp;it may have &lsquo;manufactured&rsquo; the statement purportedly given by the king. Yet, it&rsquo;s a fact that Kabul was less than favourable to New Delhi on the latter&rsquo;s position on Kashmir.

It is possible that the Indian dismay would have been addressed had the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri made his scheduled visit to Afghanistan after the Tashkent meet which brought about an end to the 1965 war. Unfortunately, that was not to be as he died soon after the Tashkent Declaration.

In those days, 1965 was the only &lsquo;bright&rsquo; spot in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, because soon after, especially from the early 1970s, the Afghans began to be increasingly alarmed by Pakistan&rsquo;s high-handedness in East Pakistan and even the Baloch region. Although Kabul officially maintained silence over the Pakistani Army&rsquo;s atrocities in what later became Bangladesh, the ruling dispensation recognised the general Afghan anger over the developments.

What was worse from Afghanistan&rsquo;s viewpoint was the heavy-handedness which Pakistan displayed against the Baloch population. Kabul and New Delhi, although not the greatest of friends then, nevertheless began coming closer through, the increased Soviet influence in Afghanistan. Ironically, it was that very influence, to counter which the US entered the scene and made Pakistan a key counter-balance to the Soviet-backed regimes, which led to complications in the bilateral. Towards the end of 1980s and the early 1990s with the Soviets out and the Taliban gaining ground, India-Afghanistan ties hit a new low, only to recover years later.

Afghanistan soon realised to its dismay that the ouster of the Taliban regime had brought more problems than it had solved, in the form of militancy. The Mujahideen were out of work and had turned against their patrons - the US - but continued to be backed by Islamabad. The militant&#39;s groups, now carrying various names, began to target not just Afghanistan but also India and others in South Asia. India-Afghanistan ties should have taken off after this realisation had dawned on Kabul, but did not.

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<h5>Hamid Karzai consistently attacked Pakistan for patronising terror elements that hit his country and India too.</h5>
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This was primarily because of two reasons. The first is that the US continued to generously support Pakistan, and Afghanistan had to humour Pakistan because it heavily depended on the US for all kinds of aid. The second is that the new regime in Kabul fell for Pakistan&rsquo;s assurance of being a true friend. In 2011, then President Hamid Karzai had called Pakistan a &ldquo;twin brother&rdquo; and claimed that it had suffered from terrorism &ldquo;more than us&rdquo; and that India suffered from terrorist attacks &ldquo;only occasionally&rdquo;.

The fact that Karzai called India a &ldquo;great friend&rdquo; did nothing to please New Delhi after his pro-Pakistan remarks. It didn&rsquo;t take him a lifetime to revise his opinion. By 2014, when he was no longer President, he was consistently attacking Pakistan for patronising terror elements that hit his country and India too. This was then the beginning of Kabul getting real close to India. To be fair to Karzai, towards the last months in office, he had begun to speak out openly against Pakistan-sponsored terror in the region.

Like his predecessor, President Ghani began his tenure with overtures to Islamabad, worrying New Delhi which had begun to see light at the end of the India-Afghanistan bilateral tunnel. He went to Pakistan, received a 21-gun salute at the airport, and visited the Pakistani military headquarters - a gesture that was seen as bending-over-backwards to the powerful army there and thus roundly criticised. But he too was soon to be disabused of his optimism. In subsequent months, he realised Pakistan&rsquo;s games, and turned into Islamabad&rsquo;s trenchant critic and forged what is now termed as a historic relationship with India.

Given this short history, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the robust India-Afghanistan bilateral has much to thank Pakistan for its duplicity in combating terrorism in the South Asian region. But the relationship cannot rest on the negativity over Islamabad; it needs fresh positive doses to prevent any more disruptions.

The India-Afghanistan relationship cannot rest on the negativity over Islamabad; it needs fresh positive doses to prevent any more disruptions

India-Afghanistan relations have come a long way in a short span of time. Arguably, no two other South Asian countries have a comparable strong bonding as these two. Not only is Afghanistan today seeking greater engagement with New Delhi, something which Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani re-emphasised during his recent visit to India but even the US is calling upon India to play a larger role there (as is evident in Washington DC’s recently unveiled Afghanistan and India policies). Given that India’s contribution so far has been largely in the areas of developmental work and somewhat limited in defence matters, it is evident that both the Trump administration and Kabul are expecting New Delhi to ramp up Indo-Afghan defence cooperation even if it leaves Pakistan rattled. India is unlikely to put its military boots on the ground there, but short of that, the sky appears to be the limit. Afghanistan had opposed the entry of Pakistan into the United Nations, and also that Kabul had not officially recognised the Durand Line which divides Afghanistan from Pakistan and serves as the de facto border. × Such is the current euphoria, admittedly justifiable, that few would remember or want to remember that the two nations had not seen eye to eye on many issues critical to New Delhi in the recent past. This, despite the emotional Kabuliwala, connect, the fact that Afghanistan had opposed the entry of Pakistan into the United Nations, and also that Kabul had not (it still has not) officially recognised the Durand Line which divides Afghanistan from Pakistan and serves as the de facto border. The first real indication came during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. New Delhi had then raised the pitch to counter Pakistan’s call for people’s right to self-determination in Jammu & Kashmir and even Nagaland. It said that Pakistan must then agree to self-determination in East Pakistan, Balochistan and 'Pakhtoonistan’. Kabul ought to have been happy with that remark given that it believes that the Pakhtun-dominated regions had wrongly gone to Pakistan as a result of the Durand divide. Yet, Afghanistan did not back India during the war. In fact, Kabul had registered an official protest against the Indian forces for targeting Peshawar and Kohat. This may be explained away on the pretext that Afghanistan considered the two as being its part. But then it had until then done nothing to forcefully present its case before the international community. More importantly, Afghanistan had not criticised Pakistan’s aggression which were codenamed Operation Gibraltar and Operation Grand Slam and whose aim was to secede Kashmir from India. Some media reports of the day had quoted Afghan king Zahir Shah (in Foreign Affairs Records) as placating Pakistan’s Zulfikar Ali Bhutto: “I as a king, give you assurance, I as a Muslim give you assurance, I as an Afghan give you assurance, that we are with you and we will never betray you.” Kabul later denied the statement, but the damage had been done. Pakistan’s penchant to damage India’s relations with Afghanistan and play mischief to achieve that end, something that it continues to indulge in even today. × In an interview, senior Indian diplomat Chinmaya Gharekhan had said that Afghanistan “never sided with India in India’s disputes with Pakistan… on issues like Kashmir, we have not had any support from Afghanistan”. It must be said here that given Pakistan’s penchant to damage India’s relations with Afghanistan and play mischief to achieve that end - something that it continues to indulge in even today - it may have ‘manufactured’ the statement purportedly given by the king. Yet, it’s a fact that Kabul was less than favourable to New Delhi on the latter’s position on Kashmir. It is possible that the Indian dismay would have been addressed had the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri made his scheduled visit to Afghanistan after the Tashkent meet which brought about an end to the 1965 war. Unfortunately, that was not to be as he died soon after the Tashkent Declaration. In those days, 1965 was the only ‘bright’ spot in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, because soon after, especially from the early 1970s, the Afghans began to be increasingly alarmed by Pakistan’s high-handedness in East Pakistan and even the Baloch region. Although Kabul officially maintained silence over the Pakistani Army’s atrocities in what later became Bangladesh, the ruling dispensation recognised the general Afghan anger over the developments. What was worse from Afghanistan’s viewpoint was the heavy-handedness which Pakistan displayed against the Baloch population. Kabul and New Delhi, although not the greatest of friends then, nevertheless began coming closer through, the increased Soviet influence in Afghanistan. Ironically, it was that very influence, to counter which the US entered the scene and made Pakistan a key counter-balance to the Soviet-backed regimes, which led to complications in the bilateral. Towards the end of 1980s and the early 1990s with the Soviets out and the Taliban gaining ground, India-Afghanistan ties hit a new low, only to recover years later. Afghanistan soon realised to its dismay that the ouster of the Taliban regime had brought more problems than it had solved, in the form of militancy. The Mujahideen were out of work and had turned against their patrons - the US - but continued to be backed by Islamabad. The militant's groups, now carrying various names, began to target not just Afghanistan but also India and others in South Asia. India-Afghanistan ties should have taken off after this realisation had dawned on Kabul, but did not. Hamid Karzai consistently attacked Pakistan for patronising terror elements that hit his country and India too. × This was primarily because of two reasons. The first is that the US continued to generously support Pakistan, and Afghanistan had to humour Pakistan because it heavily depended on the US for all kinds of aid. The second is that the new regime in Kabul fell for Pakistan’s assurance of being a true friend. In 2011, then President Hamid Karzai had called Pakistan a “twin brother” and claimed that it had suffered from terrorism “more than us” and that India suffered from terrorist attacks “only occasionally”. The fact that Karzai called India a “great friend” did nothing to please New Delhi after his pro-Pakistan remarks. It didn’t take him a lifetime to revise his opinion. By 2014, when he was no longer President, he was consistently attacking Pakistan for patronising terror elements that hit his country and India too. This was then the beginning of Kabul getting real close to India. To be fair to Karzai, towards the last months in office, he had begun to speak out openly against Pakistan-sponsored terror in the region. Like his predecessor, President Ghani began his tenure with overtures to Islamabad, worrying New Delhi which had begun to see light at the end of the India-Afghanistan bilateral tunnel. He went to Pakistan, received a 21-gun salute at the airport, and visited the Pakistani military headquarters - a gesture that was seen as bending-over-backwards to the powerful army there and thus roundly criticised. But he too was soon to be disabused of his optimism. In subsequent months, he realised Pakistan’s games, and turned into Islamabad’s trenchant critic and forged what is now termed as a historic relationship with India. Given this short history, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the robust India-Afghanistan bilateral has much to thank Pakistan for its duplicity in combating terrorism in the South Asian region. But the relationship cannot rest on the negativity over Islamabad; it needs fresh positive doses to prevent any more disruptions.

India-Afghanistan relationship seeks to prosper through all ups and downs

A suicide bomber&nbsp;riding a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/suicide-bomber-targets-kabul-military-academy-22702">motorcycle blew himself up inside Kabul&#39;s heavily fortified</a> diplomatic zone killing eight&nbsp;people on Tuesday afternoon.

&quot;Our initial information shows the suicide <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/suicide-bombers-attack-two-afghan-mosques-at-least-72-dead-22685">attacker was on a motorcycle. He made it through</a> the first checkpoint but was stopped at the second checkpoint and detonated,&quot; defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP.&nbsp;

The Islamic State claimed&nbsp;responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported.

&quot;We don&#39;t know the target but it happened a few meters from the defence ministry&#39;s foreign relations office. No casualties to our personnel,&quot; the defense ministry spokesman said.

Security forces have cordoned off the Green Zone in Kabul after the bombing rocked the diplomatic zone.

Reuters reported there were numerous casualties, quoting Afghan officials.

A Reuters television reported at least eight people appeared to have been killed, besides several wounded at the explosion site in the city&#39;s Wazir Akbar Khan area.

At least 10 people were wounded in the attack.

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Blast hit kabul (Reuters)
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Reuters reported there were numerous casualties, quoting Afghan officials.

A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up inside Kabul's heavily fortified diplomatic zone killing eight people on Tuesday afternoon. "Our initial information shows the suicide attacker was on a motorcycle. He made it through the first checkpoint but was stopped at the second checkpoint and detonated," defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported. "We don't know the target but it happened a few meters from the defence ministry's foreign relations office. No casualties to our personnel," the defense ministry spokesman said. Security forces have cordoned off the Green Zone in Kabul after the bombing rocked the diplomatic zone. Reuters reported there were numerous casualties, quoting Afghan officials. A Reuters television reported at least eight people appeared to have been killed, besides several wounded at the explosion site in the city's Wazir Akbar Khan area. At least 10 people were wounded in the attack. Blast hit kabul (Reuters) ×

Watch: Suicide bomb attack in Kabul's diplomatic area; Islamic State claims responsibility

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-suicide-attack-in-kabul-mosque-at-least-30-killed-22675" target="_blank">Suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Afghanistan&nbsp;on Friday</a>, killing at least 72 people including children, officials and witnesses said.

One bomber walked into a Shi&#39;ite Muslim mosque in the capital Kabul as people were praying&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;night and detonated an explosive, one of the worshippers there, Mahmood Shah Husaini, said.

At least 39 people died in the blast at the Imam Zaman mosque in the city&#39;s western Dasht-e-Barchi district, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, but a statement from the group did not provide evidence to support its claim.

Shi&#39;ite Muslims have suffered a series of attacks in Afghanistan in recent months, many of them claimed by the Sunni Muslim militants of IS.

Separately, a suicide bombing killed at least 33 people at a mosque in central Ghor province, a police spokesman said.

The attack appeared to target a local leader from the Jamiat political party, according to a statement from Balkh provincial governor Atta Mohammad Noor, a leading figure in Jamiat.

No one immediately claimed responsibility.

A Shiite mosque was attacked in Kabul on Friday, and another in central Ghor province

Suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 72 people including children, officials and witnesses said. One bomber walked into a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in the capital Kabul as people were praying on Friday night and detonated an explosive, one of the worshippers there, Mahmood Shah Husaini, said. At least 39 people died in the blast at the Imam Zaman mosque in the city's western Dasht-e-Barchi district, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, but a statement from the group did not provide evidence to support its claim. Shi'ite Muslims have suffered a series of attacks in Afghanistan in recent months, many of them claimed by the Sunni Muslim militants of IS. Separately, a suicide bombing killed at least 33 people at a mosque in central Ghor province, a police spokesman said. The attack appeared to target a local leader from the Jamiat political party, according to a statement from Balkh provincial governor Atta Mohammad Noor, a leading figure in Jamiat. No one immediately claimed responsibility.

At least 72 dead after suicide bombers attack two Afghan mosques

Two suicide bombers <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/taliban-attacks-the-hamid-karzai-international-airport-in-kabul-20750">on Humvees targeted a military base in</a>&nbsp;Kandahar in Afghanistan, reports said.

The attack occurred in&nbsp;Maiwand district of&nbsp;Kandahar, Tolo news reported.

Afghanistan&#39;s Defense ministry said Taliban militants killed at least 43 Afghan troops&nbsp;when they stormed the&nbsp;military base in southern Afghanistan, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The ministry said 60 soldiers were manning the base in the southern province out of which 43 were killed, nine were wounded and six were missing after Taliban militants stormed the base in the middle of the night, the Defense ministry said in a statement.

At least nine Taliban were also reported killed.

Defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP the attackers detonated at least one explosive-packed Humvee vehicle and razed the compound in the early morning assault.

&quot;We have sent a delegation to assess the situation. The base is under ANA (Afghan National Army) control,&quot; Waziri told AFP.

It was the third suicide and gun attack on a security installation this week and takes the total death toll to more than 100, including soldiers, police and civilians.

The attack occurred in?Maiwand district of?Kandahar

Two suicide bombers on Humvees targeted a military base in Kandahar in Afghanistan, reports said. The attack occurred in Maiwand district of Kandahar, Tolo news reported. Afghanistan's Defense ministry said Taliban militants killed at least 43 Afghan troops when they stormed the military base in southern Afghanistan, Reuters reported. The ministry said 60 soldiers were manning the base in the southern province out of which 43 were killed, nine were wounded and six were missing after Taliban militants stormed the base in the middle of the night, the Defense ministry said in a statement. At least nine Taliban were also reported killed. Defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP the attackers detonated at least one explosive-packed Humvee vehicle and razed the compound in the early morning assault. "We have sent a delegation to assess the situation. The base is under ANA (Afghan National Army) control," Waziri told AFP. It was the third suicide and gun attack on a security installation this week and takes the total death toll to more than 100, including soldiers, police and civilians.

Afghanistan: Taliban attack Kandahar military base, at least 43 soldiers killed

A&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;bomber&nbsp;posing as a shepherd blew himself&nbsp;up&nbsp;near&nbsp;a&nbsp;Shiite&nbsp;mosque&nbsp;in&nbsp;Kabul&nbsp;on Friday killing six people and injuring 16 others,&nbsp;police&nbsp;said, as Muslims prepare to celebrate one of the holiest events in the Islamic calendar.

The attack in the north of the Afghan capital happened as worshippers were gathered inside Hussainia&nbsp;mosque, one of the biggest&nbsp;Shiite&nbsp;centres in the city, for Friday prayers.&nbsp;

&quot;A&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;bomber&nbsp;who was grazing sheep has detonated himself outside&quot; the&nbsp;mosque, General Salim Almas, criminal investigative director of&nbsp;Kabul&nbsp;city, told AFP.

Kabul&#39;s Emergency hospital tweeted that it had received 19 wounded including four children.

A photo posted on Twitter has purportedly taken at the scene of the attack shows a man lying on the ground, covered in blood. A severed leg belonging to someone else is beside him.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Taliban and Islamic State jihadists, who belong to the rival Sunni branch of Islam, have repeatedly targeted the minority&nbsp;Shiite&nbsp;community in recent years.

A shopkeeper told AFP that the&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;bomber&nbsp;blew himself to bits after he was identified by suspicious civilian guards who had set&nbsp;up&nbsp;a checkpoint about 200 metres from the&nbsp;mosque.&nbsp;

Afghanistan has trained and armed more than 400 civilians to help protect&nbsp;Shiite mosques during the holy month of Muharram.

The attacker had apparently wanted to reach the&nbsp;mosque&nbsp;while worshippers were still inside the prayer hall.&nbsp;

Salim Shaheen, who had been inside the&nbsp;mosque&nbsp;at the time of the blast told AFP there were multiple casualties.

&quot;We were busy offering our Friday prayers when a big bang happened and we stopped prayers and rushed out,&quot; Shaheen told AFP.

Shaheen said, &quot;several people were killed and wounded&quot;. He and other bystanders took 15 people including six children to the hospital.

There had been fears insurgents would strike again as Shiites prepare to commemorate Ashura which falls this weekend and is the most important&nbsp;Shiite observance.

It falls on the 10th day of Muharram, which is the mourning period for the seventh-century killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

The faithful gather to beat their chests and hit their backs with chains until they bleed in commemoration of Hussein&#39;s death.

But in recent years the sacred day has been marred by deadly violence.

A suicide bomber posing as a shepherd blew himself up near a Shiite mosque in Kabul on Friday killing six people and injuring 16 others, police said, as Muslims prepare to celebrate one of the holiest events in the Islamic calendar. The attack in the north of the Afghan capital happened as worshippers were gathered inside Hussainia mosque, one of the biggest Shiite centres in the city, for Friday prayers. "A suicide bomber who was grazing sheep has detonated himself outside" the mosque, General Salim Almas, criminal investigative director of Kabul city, told AFP. Kabul's Emergency hospital tweeted that it had received 19 wounded including four children. A photo posted on Twitter has purportedly taken at the scene of the attack shows a man lying on the ground, covered in blood. A severed leg belonging to someone else is beside him. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Taliban and Islamic State jihadists, who belong to the rival Sunni branch of Islam, have repeatedly targeted the minority Shiite community in recent years. A shopkeeper told AFP that the suicide bomber blew himself to bits after he was identified by suspicious civilian guards who had set up a checkpoint about 200 metres from the mosque. Afghanistan has trained and armed more than 400 civilians to help protect Shiite mosques during the holy month of Muharram. The attacker had apparently wanted to reach the mosque while worshippers were still inside the prayer hall. Salim Shaheen, who had been inside the mosque at the time of the blast told AFP there were multiple casualties. "We were busy offering our Friday prayers when a big bang happened and we stopped prayers and rushed out," Shaheen told AFP. Shaheen said, "several people were killed and wounded". He and other bystanders took 15 people including six children to the hospital. There had been fears insurgents would strike again as Shiites prepare to commemorate Ashura which falls this weekend and is the most important Shiite observance. It falls on the 10th day of Muharram, which is the mourning period for the seventh-century killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. The faithful gather to beat their chests and hit their backs with chains until they bleed in commemoration of Hussein's death. But in recent years the sacred day has been marred by deadly violence.

Kabul: 6 dead after suicide bomber blows himself up near Shia mosque

A barrage of about 20-30 rockets were&nbsp;fired on Wednesday morning at Kabul&#39;s Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghan media reported.

The incident, which occurred at 11:30 am happened shortly after US Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital for talks, an official said. 
 
The airport, located in the heart of Kabul, has been evacuated and all flights have been cancelled for now. 
 
&quot;A rocket landed near the airport this morning. No casualties reported,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said in a tweet.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

&nbsp;

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

A barrage of about 20-30 rockets were fired on Wednesday morning at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghan media reported. The incident, which occurred at 11:30 am happened shortly after US Defense Secretary James Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital for talks, an official said. The airport, located in the heart of Kabul, has been evacuated and all flights have been cancelled for now. "A rocket landed near the airport this morning. No casualties reported," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said in a tweet. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Barrage of rockets fired at Kabul airport to coincide with Mattis visit

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Kabul Wednesday, an AFP reporter said, along with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg weeks after Donald Trump&#39;s pledge to send more troops to the war-torn country.

Mattis is the first member of the US president&#39;s cabinet to visit Afghanistan since the strategy announcement to keep American boots on the ground there indefinitely.

The unannounced high-level visit comes as Afghan security forces struggle to beat back the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014.&nbsp;

The resurgent militants have promised to turn Afghanistan into a &quot;graveyard&quot; for foreign forces and have been mounting deadly attacks as they maintain control over large swathes of the country.&nbsp;

US generals have for months been calling the situation in Afghanistan a &quot;stalemate&quot;, despite years of support for Afghan partners, continued help from a NATO coalition and an overall cost in fighting and reconstruction to the United States of more than $1 trillion.

The war turns 16 next month and is America&#39;s longest-ever conflict.

NATO allies will increase troop numbers in Afghanistan to help the government battle a resurgent Taliban but there is no question of returning to a combat role, the alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg says

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Kabul Wednesday, an AFP reporter said, along with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg weeks after Donald Trump's pledge to send more troops to the war-torn country. Mattis is the first member of the US president's cabinet to visit Afghanistan since the strategy announcement to keep American boots on the ground there indefinitely. The unannounced high-level visit comes as Afghan security forces struggle to beat back the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops at the end of 2014. The resurgent militants have promised to turn Afghanistan into a "graveyard" for foreign forces and have been mounting deadly attacks as they maintain control over large swathes of the country. US generals have for months been calling the situation in Afghanistan a "stalemate", despite years of support for Afghan partners, continued help from a NATO coalition and an overall cost in fighting and reconstruction to the United States of more than $1 trillion. The war turns 16 next month and is America's longest-ever conflict.

US defense secretary Mattis and NATO chief Stoltenberg in Kabul

An explosion hit a bank in Afghanistan&#39;s capital Kabul on Tuesday close to the US&nbsp;embassy.

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Reuters the blast occurred at the entrance to a Kabul bank branch, not far from the US embassy.

At least four people have been killed and several wounded several, Reuters quoted the Afghanistan&#39;s interior ministry.

The blast occurred as people were busy withdrawing money from the bank ahead of the Eid holiday at the end of the week.

A health ministry official had told Afghanistan&#39;s Tolo&nbsp;news earlier that one person was killed and at least eight were injured in the blast.&nbsp;

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.&nbsp;

Developing

Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Reuters the blast occurred at the entrance to a Kabul Bank branch

An explosion hit a bank in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Tuesday close to the US embassy. Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Reuters the blast occurred at the entrance to a Kabul bank branch, not far from the US embassy. At least four people have been killed and several wounded several, Reuters quoted the Afghanistan's interior ministry. The blast occurred as people were busy withdrawing money from the bank ahead of the Eid holiday at the end of the week. A health ministry official had told Afghanistan's Tolo news earlier that one person was killed and at least eight were injured in the blast. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Developing

Blast in Kabul bank close to US embassy,  death toll rises to 4

A car bomb attack in a market in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/car-bomb-attack-in-afghanistan-at-least-5-killed-19366"> Afghanistan&#39;s southern province of Helmand</a> killed at least 13 people late on Sunday evening.

The attack was targeted at a convoy of Afghan soldiers in the market area in Nawa district of Helmand. The suicide attack led the death of security personnel and civilians.

AFP reported at least fifteen bodies were brought to the hospital with over thirty injured in admitted in various hospitals. &nbsp;

The attack comes just days <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gunmen-enter-mosque-in-kabul-19503">after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in Kabul</a>, just days after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/reversing-course-trump-commits-to-open-ended-afghan-war-19303">US President Donald Trump promised</a> to step up military intervention in &nbsp;Afghanistan.

&quot;A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-filled car as the Afghan National Army convoy passed a small market in Nawa District of Helmand,&quot; Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack even though news agency AFP reported the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message sent to journalists.

AFP reported at least fifteen bodies were brought to the hospital with over thirty injured in admitted in various hospitals. ?

A car bomb attack in a market in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand killed at least 13 people late on Sunday evening. The attack was targeted at a convoy of Afghan soldiers in the market area in Nawa district of Helmand. The suicide attack led the death of security personnel and civilians. AFP reported at least fifteen bodies were brought to the hospital with over thirty injured in admitted in various hospitals. The attack comes just days after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a mosque in Kabul, just days after US President Donald Trump promised to step up military intervention in Afghanistan. "A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-filled car as the Afghan National Army convoy passed a small market in Nawa District of Helmand," Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack even though news agency AFP reported the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a WhatsApp message sent to journalists.

At least 13 killed, several injured in suicide attack in Afghanistan's Helmand province

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in Kabul.

Kabul police spokesman Abdul Basir Mujahid told AFP a suicide bomber &quot;detonated himself inside the mosque&quot;. The interior ministry confirmed a &quot;terrorist attack&quot; had taken place.

At least 14 civilians have been killed, Afghanistan&#39;s interior ministry said.

Police officials told Reuters a suicide bomber detonated himself at the gate.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Witnesses reported a blast followed by gunfire, according to a Kabul police official, Reuters reported.

The area has been cordoned off by the police, Afganistan&#39;s tolo news said.

Witnesses reported a blast followed by gunfire, according to a Kabul police official.

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in Kabul. Kabul police spokesman Abdul Basir Mujahid told AFP a suicide bomber "detonated himself inside the mosque". The interior ministry confirmed a "terrorist attack" had taken place. At least 14 civilians have been killed, Afghanistan's interior ministry said. Police officials told Reuters a suicide bomber detonated himself at the gate. Witnesses reported a blast followed by gunfire, according to a Kabul police official, Reuters reported. The area has been cordoned off by the police, Afganistan's tolo news said.

Kabul: Suicide blast in mosque, at least 14 people killed

The top US&nbsp;military commander in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;said on Thursday President Donald Trump&#39;s new strategy is a sign of a long-term commitment to what is already America&#39;s longest war and called on Taliban insurgents to agree to peace talks.

&quot;The Taliban cannot win on the battlefield, it&#39;s time for them to join the peace process,&quot;&nbsp;GeneralJohn Nicholson told reporters in the Afghan capital, Kabul. &quot;We will not fail in&nbsp;Afghanistan, our national security depends on that as well.&quot;

Critics, including Trump himself during the 2016 campaign for the US&nbsp;presidency, have argued that&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;is no closer to peace despite billions of dollars spent on aid and nearly 16 years of the US&nbsp;and allied military operations.

In February, Nicholson told the US Congress he needed &quot;a few thousand&quot; more troops in Afghanistan, mostly to help advise Afghan security forces that are battling Taliban, Islamic State and other Islamist insurgents.

Trump has now approved an extended American presence in&nbsp;Afghanistan, although neither he nor his military leaders have provided any specifics about troop numbers or timelines.

The current US force for the predominantly advise-and-assist mission in&nbsp;Afghanistan&nbsp;stands at around 8,400, well down from around 100,000 during the &quot;surge&quot; decided on by Trump&#39;s predecessor, Barack Obama.

Several thousand more troops are often in the country on &quot;temporary&quot; or other uncounted missions.

Nicholson said new advisers from the United States and NATO coalition allies would increase the training missions, including at specialized military schools and expanding the Afghan air force and special forces.

He also praised Trump&#39;s decision not to impose &quot;arbitrary&quot; deadlines on the American mission in Afghanistan.

&quot;This policy announcement ... is proof of our continued commitment,&quot; he said.

The Taliban government was overthrown by the US, backed Afghan forces in late 2001 but US&nbsp;forces have been bogged down there ever since. About 2,400 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan.

US&nbsp;military and intelligence officials are concerned that a new Taliban victory would allow al Qaeda and Islamic State&rsquo;s regional affiliate to establish bases in&nbsp;Afghanistan.

That could allow them to plot attacks against the United States and its allies, they fear, just as Osama bin Laden had done with the Sept. 11, 2001, strikes that triggered the war in&nbsp;Afghanistan.

The Taliban cannot win on the battlefield, it's time for them to join the peace process," General John Nicholson

The top US military commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday President Donald Trump's new strategy is a sign of a long-term commitment to what is already America's longest war and called on Taliban insurgents to agree to peace talks. "The Taliban cannot win on the battlefield, it's time for them to join the peace process," GeneralJohn Nicholson told reporters in the Afghan capital, Kabul. "We will not fail in Afghanistan, our national security depends on that as well." Critics, including Trump himself during the 2016 campaign for the US presidency, have argued that Afghanistan is no closer to peace despite billions of dollars spent on aid and nearly 16 years of the US and allied military operations. In February, Nicholson told the US Congress he needed "a few thousand" more troops in Afghanistan, mostly to help advise Afghan security forces that are battling Taliban, Islamic State and other Islamist insurgents. Trump has now approved an extended American presence in Afghanistan, although neither he nor his military leaders have provided any specifics about troop numbers or timelines. The current US force for the predominantly advise-and-assist mission in Afghanistan stands at around 8,400, well down from around 100,000 during the "surge" decided on by Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. Several thousand more troops are often in the country on "temporary" or other uncounted missions. Nicholson said new advisers from the United States and NATO coalition allies would increase the training missions, including at specialized military schools and expanding the Afghan air force and special forces. He also praised Trump's decision not to impose "arbitrary" deadlines on the American mission in Afghanistan. "This policy announcement ... is proof of our continued commitment," he said. The Taliban government was overthrown by the US, backed Afghan forces in late 2001 but US forces have been bogged down there ever since. About 2,400 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan. US military and intelligence officials are concerned that a new Taliban victory would allow al Qaeda and Islamic State’s regional affiliate to establish bases in Afghanistan. That could allow them to plot attacks against the United States and its allies, they fear, just as Osama bin Laden had done with the Sept. 11, 2001, strikes that triggered the war in Afghanistan.

Trump's new strategy is long term commitment: US military commander in Afghanistan

The US Defence Secretary Jim &quot;Mad Dog&quot;&nbsp;Mattis&nbsp;told the American Congress&nbsp;that the country is not winning in Afghanistan. This, in common words, means they are losing. Finally, someone acknowledged it.&nbsp;

A few months back, during a hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Nicholson, commander of the US forces in Afghanistan,&nbsp;had been more optimistic,&nbsp;defining the situation as a &quot;stalemate&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to the US military, the Afghan government can claim to control 60 per cent of the country&rsquo;s districts, 11 per cent less than the previous year. &nbsp;&quot;We recognise the need for urgency,&quot; Mattis said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump vs Obama

US President Donald Trump decided to leave it to the Pentagon to decide how many troops are needed on the ground. This decision gives more power to the military, a change&nbsp;from the previous administration which&nbsp;carefully supervised&nbsp;all military deployments.&nbsp;

It has now become clear that Trump&rsquo;s foreign policy, at least when it comes to war-torn areas, is more troops, more bombs, more fighting. Coalition forces have increased the frequency&nbsp;of airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq. It has been recently documented that they have been using white phosphorous over Mosul, where many civilians still live.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Afghanistan&#39;s battered forces

Sixteen years and more than 2,300 military victims after the US invasion, Afghan Taliban are once again on the offensive, the Islamic State established a presence and cities are more prone to suicide attacks. The Afghan National Army (ANA) is tired, suffering and in a few cases vulnerable to Taliban infiltration. In 2016 alone they lost 6,000 soldiers.&nbsp;

The ANA faces shortages of up-to-standard equipment and, even worse, they lack ammunitions. Several military outposts are completely at the mercy of Taliban ambushes and do not even have enough bullets to try to hold their position. The most recent of such episodes happened in&nbsp;late May, when Taliban attacked a military outpost in Kandahar, killing 15 soldiers. A week earlier the same fate hit another outpost and ten Afghan soldiers lost their lives.&nbsp;

Afghans have a fighting spirit and the country&rsquo;s history proves it. They defeated every army who tried to conquer their land, but there is a limit to the sacrifice a nation can ask&nbsp;its soldiers. During a conflict dedication is important, but not enough.&nbsp;

The rampant corruption within the army ranks is also a major problem. At the end of March, Afghan defence officials communicated that more than a thousand military personnel, including generals and officers, had been fired on charges of corruption.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

History on their side?

The US military and the coalition forces have not been able to secure a lasting stability in Afghanistan, and a few thousand soldiers will not save&nbsp;the country. This is being presented as&nbsp;sending&nbsp;in reinforcements to win the war, when really&nbsp;they&nbsp;may be&nbsp;needed to prevent losing it.

Afghan history shows pretty blatantly that the solution does not lie in further military actions, but in a difficult and painful dialogue between the belligerents. National reconciliation, an honest judiciary system, people&rsquo;s empowerment and economic development are the foundation&nbsp;on which Afghanistan can&nbsp;build peace. Time has proved how bombs are not effective.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Rumours&nbsp;

In early May, media reported&nbsp;diplomatic rumours in Washington suggesting a possible deployment of 15,000 Indian soldiers in Afghanistan under the banner of the United Nations. This is just a very weak rumour, its origins are so unclear that it can hardly be taken into account. The Indian ambassador in Kabul, Mr. Manpreet Vohra, has denied any official communication on the matter between the two governments. &ldquo;There is no such proposal from the United Nations to the best of my knowledge,&rdquo; Mr. Vohra told WION.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

India in Afghanistan

If these media reports are to be believed, the move could result in a further destabilisation of Afghanistan. Many Taliban leaders and fighters are based out of Pakistan and are supported by the country&rsquo;s deep state. It is very likely that the reaction to a possible Indian deployment would be to increase the number of attacks, both against soldiers and civilians living in the country. This, for India, could also mean to &quot;bring the war home&quot;, increasing the risk of attacks within the country. Many people on the streets of Kabul are also fed up with war:&nbsp;They had enough foreign troops on their soil in the last decades, and nothing has changed.&nbsp;

India has been a precious ally to Afghanistan, and is putting a lot of effort in the reconstruction process. The Salma Dam is perhaps one of the largest infrastructure that India completed in the country, and it is directly benefitting the local population. Since 2001 India invested $2 billion in Afghanistan and in late 2016 it pledged another billion on top of that.

Afghanistan will benefit of the services provided by the&nbsp;satellite India recently launched and defined as&nbsp;&quot;a gift to South Asia&quot;. Indian doctors travel regularly to Afghanistan, and many Afghans are allowed to travel to India for medical purposes. All these investments are not made only out of generosity, there is a clear element of soft power. This is the way Delhi&nbsp;aims to&nbsp;solidify&nbsp;their position as major influencer of the South Asian region, and to isolate Islamabad as much as possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One can doubt the sincerity of their motivation.

Whatever&nbsp;the purity of their&nbsp;motivation,&nbsp;as far as long-term stability goes&nbsp;India&#39;s increased&nbsp;civilian investment, rather than America increasing&nbsp;military deployment, is what will improve Afghanistan.

(WION)

Trump pledged to let the Pentagon set troop levels in Afghanistan. Long-term this won't stabilise things, even if the Taliban is strong

The US Defence Secretary Jim "Mad Dog" Mattis told the American Congress that the country is not winning in Afghanistan. This, in common words, means they are losing. Finally, someone acknowledged it. A few months back, during a hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, General Nicholson, commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, had been more optimistic, defining the situation as a "stalemate". According to the US military, the Afghan government can claim to control 60 per cent of the country’s districts, 11 per cent less than the previous year. "We recognise the need for urgency," Mattis said. Trump vs Obama US President Donald Trump decided to leave it to the Pentagon to decide how many troops are needed on the ground. This decision gives more power to the military, a change from the previous administration which carefully supervised all military deployments. It has now become clear that Trump’s foreign policy, at least when it comes to war-torn areas, is more troops, more bombs, more fighting. Coalition forces have increased the frequency of airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq. It has been recently documented that they have been using white phosphorous over Mosul, where many civilians still live. Afghanistan's battered forces Sixteen years and more than 2,300 military victims after the US invasion, Afghan Taliban are once again on the offensive, the Islamic State established a presence and cities are more prone to suicide attacks. The Afghan National Army (ANA) is tired, suffering and in a few cases vulnerable to Taliban infiltration. In 2016 alone they lost 6,000 soldiers. The ANA faces shortages of up-to-standard equipment and, even worse, they lack ammunitions. Several military outposts are completely at the mercy of Taliban ambushes and do not even have enough bullets to try to hold their position. The most recent of such episodes happened in late May, when Taliban attacked a military outpost in Kandahar, killing 15 soldiers. A week earlier the same fate hit another outpost and ten Afghan soldiers lost their lives. Afghans have a fighting spirit and the country’s history proves it. They defeated every army who tried to conquer their land, but there is a limit to the sacrifice a nation can ask its soldiers. During a conflict dedication is important, but not enough. The rampant corruption within the army ranks is also a major problem. At the end of March, Afghan defence officials communicated that more than a thousand military personnel, including generals and officers, had been fired on charges of corruption. History on their side? The US military and the coalition forces have not been able to secure a lasting stability in Afghanistan, and a few thousand soldiers will not save the country. This is being presented as sending in reinforcements to win the war, when really they may be needed to prevent losing it. Afghan history shows pretty blatantly that the solution does not lie in further military actions, but in a difficult and painful dialogue between the belligerents. National reconciliation, an honest judiciary system, people’s empowerment and economic development are the foundation on which Afghanistan can build peace. Time has proved how bombs are not effective. Rumours In early May, media reported diplomatic rumours in Washington suggesting a possible deployment of 15,000 Indian soldiers in Afghanistan under the banner of the United Nations. This is just a very weak rumour, its origins are so unclear that it can hardly be taken into account. The Indian ambassador in Kabul, Mr. Manpreet Vohra, has denied any official communication on the matter between the two governments. “There is no such proposal from the United Nations to the best of my knowledge,” Mr. Vohra told WION. India in Afghanistan If these media reports are to be believed, the move could result in a further destabilisation of Afghanistan. Many Taliban leaders and fighters are based out of Pakistan and are supported by the country’s deep state. It is very likely that the reaction to a possible Indian deployment would be to increase the number of attacks, both against soldiers and civilians living in the country. This, for India, could also mean to "bring the war home", increasing the risk of attacks within the country. Many people on the streets of Kabul are also fed up with war: They had enough foreign troops on their soil in the last decades, and nothing has changed. India has been a precious ally to Afghanistan, and is putting a lot of effort in the reconstruction process. The Salma Dam is perhaps one of the largest infrastructure that India completed in the country, and it is directly benefitting the local population. Since 2001 India invested $2 billion in Afghanistan and in late 2016 it pledged another billion on top of that. Afghanistan will benefit of the services provided by the satellite India recently launched and defined as "a gift to South Asia". Indian doctors travel regularly to Afghanistan, and many Afghans are allowed to travel to India for medical purposes. All these investments are not made only out of generosity, there is a clear element of soft power. This is the way Delhi aims to solidify their position as major influencer of the South Asian region, and to isolate Islamabad as much as possible. One can doubt the sincerity of their motivation. Whatever the purity of their motivation, as far as long-term stability goes India's increased civilian investment, rather than America increasing military deployment, is what will improve Afghanistan. (WION)

Analysis from Kabul: Afghanistan needs civilian investment, not bombs

&ldquo;We will stay here until the government will grant us our rights. We will stay here for one day, one week, one month or one year, whatever it takes,&rdquo; says Hangeza Habibia,&nbsp;an Afghan woman in her thirties. She is one of the rare women&nbsp;found&nbsp;in&nbsp;the protest tents around Kabul. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Every woman who is willing to protest should come. You see that I am alone now, but normally 30 per cent of the people in this tent are women.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Demonstrators like Hangeza&nbsp;ask&nbsp;for increased&nbsp;safety in&nbsp;Kabul&#39;s streets. &ldquo;We are coming here because in one day we had 600 people murdered or injured. We are coming here to protect our brothers and to avoid that their blood floods the street once again. Who will grant that we are not killed tomorrow? Who will grant that we can stay safe in our houses?&rdquo;&nbsp;

Demonstrators criticise both President Ashraf Ghani and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah, requesting they&nbsp;either resign or&nbsp;fire their topmost security advisers.&nbsp;

The May 31 attack which&nbsp;killed more than a hundred people&nbsp;is where it all started, the source&nbsp;of the current bout&nbsp;of political instability throughout&nbsp;the city. To make things worse, suicide attackers targeted the&nbsp;funeral, killing another seven people and injuring 119.

People took to the street to demand more security. &nbsp;

Police forces reacted aggressively:&nbsp;They started shooting against the crowd.&nbsp;Nine protestors died and many got injured. According to police sources, only two people died and their men started shooting because protesters were carrying weapons and started shooting first.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Afghan national police shot against our chests. They killed people during demonstrations and this is why we put up these tents,&rdquo; says 35-year-old Raheem Mukhtari. He has been part of the protests since the very beginning, and like&nbsp;many others has no intention of&nbsp;leaving.&nbsp;

More than security

There are at least six tents across the city where people gather to rally and chant slogans throughout the day. The city&rsquo;s security is no longer&nbsp;the sole cause&nbsp;of the protest; the protesters are bonded by&nbsp;a&nbsp;mix of anger and&nbsp;frustration stemming from&nbsp;the country&rsquo;s brutal&nbsp;economy, its low&nbsp;job prospects and, of course, the increased&nbsp;violence.&nbsp;A feeling of mistrust towards the government has always accompanied President Ghani; The recent massive explosion functioned as an ignitor,&nbsp;transforming the general sentiment of mistrust into&nbsp;permanent protest.&nbsp;

Many political groups and parties&nbsp;also feel sidelined, and would be happy to see Ghani&rsquo;s presidency&nbsp;end.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I fought for this country, I spilled my own blood,&rdquo; shouts a man in his forties from the tent&#39;s stage. &ldquo;And for what? Now, wherever I stamp my foot I only see blood coming out from this soil.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Several tents display&nbsp;banners with a crossed-out&nbsp;picture of President Ghani.&nbsp;

&ldquo;We are asking to the government to resign, they did not deliver what they promised during the election and we want them to go. Every day we have martyrs and new killings. We want Abdullah Abdullah and Ghani to resign, we want a temporary government until they organise new elections,&rdquo; says Ameen Ameni, a 24-year-old demonstrator.&nbsp;

The tents are not very crowded and the protest does not seem&nbsp;capable of crossing the city&rsquo;s boundaries. &nbsp;

This does not mean that things are under control though. Kabul is a city full of weapons and informal political militias who are ready, and often willing,&nbsp;to enter in action if requested to. The capital&nbsp;is not the entire country&nbsp;but the crucial power centres are here, and that is where much of the country&rsquo;s political&nbsp;and economical&nbsp;game is decided.&nbsp;

Protesters say that they do not belong to any political party, but listening to the many informal conversations in and around the tents, it turns out many of them are sympathisers of the influential political party, Jamiat-e Islami, currently led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Salahuddin Rabbani. According to the non-profit research organisation Afghanistan Analyst Network, the party has not yet decided its position on&nbsp;whether or not they want street riots to end.&nbsp;So far,&nbsp;they have not said or done anything to stop or calm the people.&nbsp;

Given&nbsp;recent events, the request for safety and stability is totally legitimate, but the political turn that the protest is taking could become dangerous. The Kabul &quot;tent sit-ins&quot;, even if not visibly massive, contain all the ingredients to give rise to&nbsp;countrywide instability and&nbsp;a power vacuum; Both, possibly&nbsp;the last two things Afghanistan currently needs.&nbsp;

Watch:

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WIONs Daniele Pagani is in Kabul tracking the developments there. He brings this ground report on the mood on the streets of Kabul (WION)
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(WION)

The increase in attacks in Kabul has brought out other economic grievances. The result of this mix could be more instability and a power vacuum

“We will stay here until the government will grant us our rights. We will stay here for one day, one week, one month or one year, whatever it takes,” says Hangeza Habibia, an Afghan woman in her thirties. She is one of the rare women found in the protest tents around Kabul. “Every woman who is willing to protest should come. You see that I am alone now, but normally 30 per cent of the people in this tent are women.” Demonstrators like Hangeza ask for increased safety in Kabul's streets. “We are coming here because in one day we had 600 people murdered or injured. We are coming here to protect our brothers and to avoid that their blood floods the street once again. Who will grant that we are not killed tomorrow? Who will grant that we can stay safe in our houses?” Demonstrators criticise both President Ashraf Ghani and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah, requesting they either resign or fire their topmost security advisers. The May 31 attack which killed more than a hundred people is where it all started, the source of the current bout of political instability throughout the city. To make things worse, suicide attackers targeted the funeral, killing another seven people and injuring 119. People took to the street to demand more security. Police forces reacted aggressively: They started shooting against the crowd. Nine protestors died and many got injured. According to police sources, only two people died and their men started shooting because protesters were carrying weapons and started shooting first. “The Afghan national police shot against our chests. They killed people during demonstrations and this is why we put up these tents,” says 35-year-old Raheem Mukhtari. He has been part of the protests since the very beginning, and like many others has no intention of leaving. More than security There are at least six tents across the city where people gather to rally and chant slogans throughout the day. The city’s security is no longer the sole cause of the protest; the protesters are bonded by a mix of anger and frustration stemming from the country’s brutal economy, its low job prospects and, of course, the increased violence. A feeling of mistrust towards the government has always accompanied President Ghani; The recent massive explosion functioned as an ignitor, transforming the general sentiment of mistrust into permanent protest. Many political groups and parties also feel sidelined, and would be happy to see Ghani’s presidency end. “I fought for this country, I spilled my own blood,” shouts a man in his forties from the tent's stage. “And for what? Now, wherever I stamp my foot I only see blood coming out from this soil.” Several tents display banners with a crossed-out picture of President Ghani. “We are asking to the government to resign, they did not deliver what they promised during the election and we want them to go. Every day we have martyrs and new killings. We want Abdullah Abdullah and Ghani to resign, we want a temporary government until they organise new elections,” says Ameen Ameni, a 24-year-old demonstrator. The tents are not very crowded and the protest does not seem capable of crossing the city’s boundaries. This does not mean that things are under control though. Kabul is a city full of weapons and informal political militias who are ready, and often willing, to enter in action if requested to. The capital is not the entire country but the crucial power centres are here, and that is where much of the country’s political and economical game is decided. Protesters say that they do not belong to any political party, but listening to the many informal conversations in and around the tents, it turns out many of them are sympathisers of the influential political party, Jamiat-e Islami, currently led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Salahuddin Rabbani. According to the non-profit research organisation Afghanistan Analyst Network, the party has not yet decided its position on whether or not they want street riots to end. So far, they have not said or done anything to stop or calm the people. Given recent events, the request for safety and stability is totally legitimate, but the political turn that the protest is taking could become dangerous. The Kabul "tent sit-ins", even if not visibly massive, contain all the ingredients to give rise to countrywide instability and a power vacuum; Both, possibly the last two things Afghanistan currently needs. Watch: WIONs Daniele Pagani is in Kabul tracking the developments there. He brings this ground report on the mood on the streets of Kabul (WION) × (WION)

WION Exclusive: Afganistan ground report

Afghanistan has&nbsp;cancelled proposed home and away cricket fixtures with Pakistan after a deadly bomb attack blamed by the country&#39;s intelligence agency on militants allegedly backed by Islamabad.

Pakistan were set to play their first Twenty20 match in Kabul later this year in what was seen as an opportunity for the neighbours to ease tensions over border skirmishes and alleged proxy warfare.

The Kabul match, set for July or August, would have been followed by a fixture in Pakistan and a full series at an unspecified date.

But the Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a strongly worded statement late on Wednesday, cancelling the matches in light of a truck bombing in the city&#39;s diplomatic quarter that killed at least 90 people.

No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday&#39;s attack, although the Taliban has denied involvement.

&quot;The ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board,&quot; the Afghan board said on its Facebook page.

&quot;No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens.&quot;&nbsp;

Afghanistan&#39;s intelligence agency has blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network for the attack, which has been linked to Pakistan&#39;s military in the past.

&nbsp;

Isolation:

The development leaves Pakistan&#39;s cricketers even more isolated in the region.&nbsp;

India has refused to play a full series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while ties with fellow Test team Bangladesh have also soured after Pakistan pulled out of a planned series in July.

Pakistani officials said they were unhappy that Bangladesh were not willing to send their team to Pakistan.

Only minnows Zimbabwe have been willing to tour the insecurity-wracked country since a 2009 militant attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team.

Cricketing relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were not always so frosty. Afghans learned to play cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan after they were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1979.

The sport struggled to get a foothold in Afghanistan under the hardline Taliban, but has become hugely popular since the Islamist regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001.

While Pakistan has supported the Afghan team by supplying equipment and arranging fixtures with the fledgling side, rival India has also been keen to lend its support.

Last year, Afghanistan&#39;s national team shifted its base from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, while India&#39;s former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced Pakistan&#39;s Inzamam-ul-Haq as their national team coach.

(AFP)

'No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed'

Afghanistan has cancelled proposed home and away cricket fixtures with Pakistan after a deadly bomb attack blamed by the country's intelligence agency on militants allegedly backed by Islamabad. Pakistan were set to play their first Twenty20 match in Kabul later this year in what was seen as an opportunity for the neighbours to ease tensions over border skirmishes and alleged proxy warfare. The Kabul match, set for July or August, would have been followed by a fixture in Pakistan and a full series at an unspecified date. But the Afghanistan Cricket Board issued a strongly worded statement late on Wednesday, cancelling the matches in light of a truck bombing in the city's diplomatic quarter that killed at least 90 people. No group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack, although the Taliban has denied involvement. "The ACB hereby cancel all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board," the Afghan board said on its Facebook page. "No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens." Afghanistan's intelligence agency has blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network for the attack, which has been linked to Pakistan's military in the past. Isolation: The development leaves Pakistan's cricketers even more isolated in the region. India has refused to play a full series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while ties with fellow Test team Bangladesh have also soured after Pakistan pulled out of a planned series in July. Pakistani officials said they were unhappy that Bangladesh were not willing to send their team to Pakistan. Only minnows Zimbabwe have been willing to tour the insecurity-wracked country since a 2009 militant attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team. Cricketing relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were not always so frosty. Afghans learned to play cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan after they were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1979. The sport struggled to get a foothold in Afghanistan under the hardline Taliban, but has become hugely popular since the Islamist regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001. While Pakistan has supported the Afghan team by supplying equipment and arranging fixtures with the fledgling side, rival India has also been keen to lend its support. Last year, Afghanistan's national team shifted its base from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, while India's former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq as their national team coach. (AFP)

Cricket: Afghanistan cancels Pakistan games after Kabul attack

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on an armoured convoy used by NATO that killed eight people in the Afghan capital Kabul.

It said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the U.S. embassy, killing eight American soldiers.

Public health officials in Kabul said the eight dead were civilians and that at least 28 people were wounded in the blast that took place during the morning rush hour in a busy part of the city. Three U.S. service members were among the wounded.

There was no immediate word on whether any foreign troops had been hurt in the attack, which hit a group of armoured personnel carriers designed to withstand large blasts.

However the blast, which security officials at the scene said was a suicide attack, also destroyed&nbsp;or badly damaged a number of civilian vehicles nearby.

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Explosion reported in PD9 Massoud Square in Kabul city. (Twitter)
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Afghan police and municipal workers clear debris from the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. (Reuters)
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Men carry an injured man inside a hospital after the suicide attack in Kabul. (Reuters)
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The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week.

Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed.

The heavily armoured MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said.

There was no immediate comment from the Resolute Support mission in the capital.

(Reuters)

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on an armoured convoy used by NATO that killed eight people in the Afghan capital Kabul. It said in a statement on its Amaq news agency that a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged car as the convoy passed an area near the U.S. embassy, killing eight American soldiers. Public health officials in Kabul said the eight dead were civilians and that at least 28 people were wounded in the blast that took place during the morning rush hour in a busy part of the city. Three U.S. service members were among the wounded. There was no immediate word on whether any foreign troops had been hurt in the attack, which hit a group of armoured personnel carriers designed to withstand large blasts. However the blast, which security officials at the scene said was a suicide attack, also destroyed or badly damaged a number of civilian vehicles nearby. Explosion reported in PD9 Massoud Square in Kabul city. (Twitter) × Afghan police and municipal workers clear debris from the site of a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. (Reuters) × Men carry an injured man inside a hospital after the suicide attack in Kabul. (Reuters) × The attack follows a threat by the Taliban to target foreign forces in the spring offensive that it launched last week. Witnesses said traces of blood and clothing could be seen on the ground at the blast site. Kabul television stations earlier reported that at least three people had been killed. The heavily armoured MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles that coalition forces use to travel in Kabul appeared to have suffered only relatively minor external damage, witnesses said. There was no immediate comment from the Resolute Support mission in the capital. (Reuters)

Islamic State claims responsibility for blast in Afghan capital that killed 8

Afghanistan on Tuesday sacked 12 army officers including two generals for negligence over an insurgent attack on the country&#39;s largest military hospital, which pointed to a spectacular intelligence failure.

Gunmen disguised as doctors stormed Sardar Daud Khan hospital in Kabul last month, with multiple surviving staff telling AFP that insiders including two interns were among the attackers.

The military head of intelligence and the official in charge of medical support were among those who have been dismissed and will face prosecution, the defence ministry said.&nbsp;

&quot;They have been sacked for negligence of duty over the hospital attack,&quot; ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish told AFP.&nbsp;

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The carnage inside the heavily guarded hospital was a major embarrassment for the military, spotlighting how insurgents have managed to infiltrate top government institutions in Afghanistan.

The defence ministry denies that insiders were involved and asserts that only 50 people were killed. But security sources and the survivors, some of whom counted bodies, told AFP that the death toll exceeded 100.

Public anger has grown over the episode, with speculation swirling on social media that such a brazen attack on the tightly guarded hospital could not have happened without the complicity of high-ranking officials.

The savagery of the assault was characterised by how the assailants stabbed bedridden patients, threw grenades into crowded wards and shot people at point-blank range.

The Islamic State group claimed it was behind the attack via its propaganda agency Amaq -- hours after the Taliban denied responsibility.

But the survivors whom AFP spoke to said the attackers chanted &quot;Long live Taliban&quot; in Pashto and attacked all but two wards on the hospital&#39;s first floor, where Taliban patients were admitted.

(AFP) 
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Gunmen disguised as doctors had stormed the Sardar Daud Khan hospital in Kabul last month

Afghanistan on Tuesday sacked 12 army officers including two generals for negligence over an insurgent attack on the country's largest military hospital, which pointed to a spectacular intelligence failure. Gunmen disguised as doctors stormed Sardar Daud Khan hospital in Kabul last month, with multiple surviving staff telling AFP that insiders including two interns were among the attackers. The military head of intelligence and the official in charge of medical support were among those who have been dismissed and will face prosecution, the defence ministry said. "They have been sacked for negligence of duty over the hospital attack," ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish told AFP. The carnage inside the heavily guarded hospital was a major embarrassment for the military, spotlighting how insurgents have managed to infiltrate top government institutions in Afghanistan × The carnage inside the heavily guarded hospital was a major embarrassment for the military, spotlighting how insurgents have managed to infiltrate top government institutions in Afghanistan. The defence ministry denies that insiders were involved and asserts that only 50 people were killed. But security sources and the survivors, some of whom counted bodies, told AFP that the death toll exceeded 100. Public anger has grown over the episode, with speculation swirling on social media that such a brazen attack on the tightly guarded hospital could not have happened without the complicity of high-ranking officials. The savagery of the assault was characterised by how the assailants stabbed bedridden patients, threw grenades into crowded wards and shot people at point-blank range. The Islamic State group claimed it was behind the attack via its propaganda agency Amaq -- hours after the Taliban denied responsibility. But the survivors whom AFP spoke to said the attackers chanted "Long live Taliban" in Pashto and attacked all but two wards on the hospital's first floor, where Taliban patients were admitted. (AFP)

Afghanistan sacks top generals for negligence over hospital attack

The head of the Sikh community, Lala Del Souz, was shot dead on&nbsp;Thursday morning by an unidentified person in Afghanistan&#39;s conflict-ridden Kunduz city.

This is the second such incident within three months, triggering fear&nbsp;among the minority group members in the country.

Souz was reportedly on his way to his shop when the shooting occurred.

He died from his injuries while being taken to the&nbsp;hospital.

According to relatives of the deceased, he had been shot five years ago but survived the attack, reports PTI.

Masoum Stanikzai, Kunduz security chief, confirmed the incident and said that the police has arrested three suspects.

&ldquo;Investigations will however continue,&rdquo; he said, according to a report on PTI.

Meanwhile, the social media saw an outcry with hundreds of people condemning the incident and sending condolences to his family.

Prem, Souz&#39;s uncle, called on to the government to thoroughly investigate the incident until&nbsp;those responsible are brought to justice.

He said if this does not happen, the few remaining Sikhs will also leave the province, reports PTI.

Many Sikhs left the province after the Kunduz province fell to Taliban.&nbsp;

Close to 99 per cent of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan have left the country over the past three decades.&nbsp;Tolo News said the Sikh and Hindu population numbered 220,000 in the 1980s but was now estimated to be only 1,350.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

This is the second such incident within three months, triggering fear among the minority group members in the country

The head of the Sikh community, Lala Del Souz, was shot dead on Thursday morning by an unidentified person in Afghanistan's conflict-ridden Kunduz city. This is the second such incident within three months, triggering fear among the minority group members in the country. Souz was reportedly on his way to his shop when the shooting occurred. He died from his injuries while being taken to the hospital. According to relatives of the deceased, he had been shot five years ago but survived the attack, reports PTI. Masoum Stanikzai, Kunduz security chief, confirmed the incident and said that the police has arrested three suspects. “Investigations will however continue,” he said, according to a report on PTI. Meanwhile, the social media saw an outcry with hundreds of people condemning the incident and sending condolences to his family. Prem, Souz's uncle, called on to the government to thoroughly investigate the incident until those responsible are brought to justice. He said if this does not happen, the few remaining Sikhs will also leave the province, reports PTI. Many Sikhs left the province after the Kunduz province fell to Taliban. Close to 99 per cent of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan have left the country over the past three decades. Tolo News said the Sikh and Hindu population numbered 220,000 in the 1980s but was now estimated to be only 1,350. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Sikh community head gunned down in Afghanistan

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament.

&quot;The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP&#39;s vehicle was passing through,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

&quot;Three people including the MP were wounded.&quot;

But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed.

&quot;I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle,&quot; said Abdul Manan, a&nbsp;bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack.&nbsp;

The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter&nbsp;when fighting usually ebbs.

The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers.

Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours.

Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed.

(AFP)

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting MP Fakuri Behishti,

An Afghan MP was among at least three people wounded when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, officials said, in the latest in a series of attacks on lawmakers. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast targeting Fakuri Behishti, an MP from central Bamiyan province, who was on his way to parliament. "The bomb was placed under a bridge and it detonated when the MP's vehicle was passing through," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. "Three people including the MP were wounded." But parliament speaker Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi told lawmakers that a relative of the MP had also been killed. "I heard a big explosion that shook nearby shops. I saw rescuers pulling out several wounded people from the destroyed vehicle," said Abdul Manan, a bakery shop owner near the scene of the attack. The attack comes as Taliban insurgents are pressing ahead with a nationwide offensive despite the onset of winter when fighting usually ebbs. The militants have recently stepped up attacks on Afghan lawmakers. Last Wednesday at least eight people were killed when Taliban suicide bombers stormed the residence of an Afghan lawmaker in Kabul, an attack that lasted nearly 10 hours. Helmand MP Mir Wali survived the assault with injuries, but two of his grandsons and bodyguards were among those killed. (AFP)

Blast in Kabul hits Afghan MP's vehicle, three wounded

Afghanistan&#39;s anti-corruption court has held its inaugural public hearings in Kabul, the first steps on the long road to transparency in one of the most corrupt countries in the world -- and expectations are immense.

Afghans hope the Criminal Justice Centre against Corruption, created by presidential decree, is destined to prosecute the rich and powerful behind major cases of graft.

These, according to anti-corruption NGO Transparency International, are numerous. Afghanistan is at the very bottom of their authoritative global ranking, alongside North Korea and Somalia.

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<h5>The court is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units</h5>
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&quot;It is a very important moment that will put an end to impunity. One hopes to reach the highest levels of the state, to the former ministers and important people who were never held to account until now,&quot; says Yama Torabi, chairman of the Independent Committee for the Observation of Corruption.&nbsp;

The anti-corruption centre, the fulfilment of a promise made by President Ashraf Ghani to the international community last May, is armed with prosecutors, judges and police criminal investigators, and had a war chest of half a million dollars for its first four months.

It is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units.&nbsp;

Threats and pressures 
&quot;I see two types of threats: within the government, some do not want the centre to work; and the Taliban, they do not want the government to be strong,&quot; he told AFP.&nbsp;

A father of two young children, Urfani is guarded by two soldiers and one member of the Afghan intelligence service.&nbsp;

&quot;I have not received any direct threats, but this is just the beginning. The pressure will inevitably increase when the biggest cases are reached,&quot; he says, citing threatening phone calls received by police officers who arrested a three-star general at the Ministry of Defence.

Thirty-five people, including 14 judges, have been assigned to the centre, which comprises a court of first instance and a court of appeal.

&quot;Whoever they are, they have been checked and cleared,&quot; the spokesman for Attorney General Jamsheed Rasooli told AFP.&nbsp;

To date, they have taken 55 cases and 31 suspects behind bars, with &quot;five ministries&quot; in their sights, as well as &quot;the Central Bank of Afghanistan and the issuing authority of identity cards&quot;, he says, but gives no further details.

Earlier this month the court handed down its first sentence: two and a half years in prison for military prosecutor General Abdul Haye Jurat.

He was caught red-handed as he pocketed 50,000 Afghanis ($760) from a prisoner&#39;s family, demanded to secure the man&#39;s release at the end of his sentence.

The offence appears minor in view of the billion dollars diverted from Kabul Bank in 2010, a massive scandal that highlighted how deep the roots of corruption go in Afghanistan -- but it is a start.

&quot;The sum is small but the accused is a two-star general,&quot; said Urfani. &quot;We proved that we can bring high-ranking officers to justice.&quot;&nbsp;

- Impatience - 
&quot;We know that the population and the international community are scrutinising us,&quot; says the young judge, the only person in his village to learn to read and write. Today his childhood friends watch when he appears on television.

He regrets the &quot;impatience&quot; of Afghans: &quot;Some cases take years: when you want to bring a minister to justice, you need proof and to arrest the people involved. If you go too fast, you will lose.&quot;&nbsp;

At a very high level, witnesses fear for their relatives. &quot;People are scared to help us, they fear kidnappings, the mafia is inside the government,&quot; he says.&nbsp;

The first hearings were attended by a large number of foreign observers, including those of the embassies which financially support the centre - the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in particular.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a considerable challenge when it&#39;s about the rich and powerful... Corruption is the basic problem,&quot; the European Union ambassador, Franz-Michael Mellbin, told AFP, referring to the many &quot;ghost employees&quot; of the ministries and even of the army or the police.

But both the international community and the Afghan people must be realistic, he added.&nbsp;

&quot;Previously a lot of cases were poorly prepared and it was very easy for defence lawyers to dismiss them,&quot; he adds, justifying the need to &quot;isolate the institution from the power to let them work and gather the evidence and build the cases properly&quot;.

(AFP)

The country's anti-corruption court -- the Criminal Justice Centre against Corruption -- has held its inaugural public hearings in Kabul

Afghanistan's anti-corruption court has held its inaugural public hearings in Kabul, the first steps on the long road to transparency in one of the most corrupt countries in the world -- and expectations are immense. Afghans hope the Criminal Justice Centre against Corruption, created by presidential decree, is destined to prosecute the rich and powerful behind major cases of graft. These, according to anti-corruption NGO Transparency International, are numerous. Afghanistan is at the very bottom of their authoritative global ranking, alongside North Korea and Somalia. The court is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units × "It is a very important moment that will put an end to impunity. One hopes to reach the highest levels of the state, to the former ministers and important people who were never held to account until now," says Yama Torabi, chairman of the Independent Committee for the Observation of Corruption. The anti-corruption centre, the fulfilment of a promise made by President Ashraf Ghani to the international community last May, is armed with prosecutors, judges and police criminal investigators, and had a war chest of half a million dollars for its first four months. It is headed by a 32-year-old judge, Mohammed Alif Urfani, who sits in prefabricated offices in a heavily guarded compound between the headquarters of the special police and the anti-drug units. Threats and pressures "I see two types of threats: within the government, some do not want the centre to work; and the Taliban, they do not want the government to be strong," he told AFP. A father of two young children, Urfani is guarded by two soldiers and one member of the Afghan intelligence service. "I have not received any direct threats, but this is just the beginning. The pressure will inevitably increase when the biggest cases are reached," he says, citing threatening phone calls received by police officers who arrested a three-star general at the Ministry of Defence. Thirty-five people, including 14 judges, have been assigned to the centre, which comprises a court of first instance and a court of appeal. "Whoever they are, they have been checked and cleared," the spokesman for Attorney General Jamsheed Rasooli told AFP. To date, they have taken 55 cases and 31 suspects behind bars, with "five ministries" in their sights, as well as "the Central Bank of Afghanistan and the issuing authority of identity cards", he says, but gives no further details. Earlier this month the court handed down its first sentence: two and a half years in prison for military prosecutor General Abdul Haye Jurat. He was caught red-handed as he pocketed 50,000 Afghanis ($760) from a prisoner's family, demanded to secure the man's release at the end of his sentence. The offence appears minor in view of the billion dollars diverted from Kabul Bank in 2010, a massive scandal that highlighted how deep the roots of corruption go in Afghanistan -- but it is a start. "The sum is small but the accused is a two-star general," said Urfani. "We proved that we can bring high-ranking officers to justice." - Impatience - "We know that the population and the international community are scrutinising us," says the young judge, the only person in his village to learn to read and write. Today his childhood friends watch when he appears on television. He regrets the "impatience" of Afghans: "Some cases take years: when you want to bring a minister to justice, you need proof and to arrest the people involved. If you go too fast, you will lose." At a very high level, witnesses fear for their relatives. "People are scared to help us, they fear kidnappings, the mafia is inside the government," he says. The first hearings were attended by a large number of foreign observers, including those of the embassies which financially support the centre - the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in particular. "This is a considerable challenge when it's about the rich and powerful... Corruption is the basic problem," the European Union ambassador, Franz-Michael Mellbin, told AFP, referring to the many "ghost employees" of the ministries and even of the army or the police. But both the international community and the Afghan people must be realistic, he added. "Previously a lot of cases were poorly prepared and it was very easy for defence lawyers to dismiss them," he adds, justifying the need to "isolate the institution from the power to let them work and gather the evidence and build the cases properly". (AFP)

Afghanistan takes on rich and powerful in war on graft

Police patrol the Afghan capital on a warm Sunday, but not to hunt extremists.

Instead, they are deflating the tyres of parked cars, a theft prevention tactic that is raising eyebrows as the country struggles to contain the growing menace of petty crime.

Kabul and its estimated five million inhabitants are at war, a prime target for Taliban-led insurgent attacks as well as assaults by a nascent Islamic State.&nbsp;

The capital&#39;s fledgling police force are under pressure to prevent atrocities, so, short on time and resources, they have taken a scorched earth approach when it comes to tackling more routine petty crime.&nbsp;

The logic is indisputable: if the car cannot be moved, it cannot be stolen.

&quot;Police politely ask the residents to not park their cars in the open... but when they prefer to pay no heed, then police may move in to remove the air nozzles as a last measure,&quot; says Feraidoon Obaidi, chief of Kabul police&#39;s criminal investigation department.

&quot;We can protect people from both the thieves and the terrorists,&quot; he says.

&quot;But they should know how much energy we have to put in to stop terrorists in the city. By leaving their cars in the open, they are inviting thieves.&quot;

A series of attacks have ripped across Kabul in recent months, jihadists armed with bombs and guns killing dozens of people, including the assault targeting Shiites during the Ashura festival earlier in October that left 14 people dead.&nbsp;

Most have been carried out by the resurgent Taliban, including attacks on a global charity and a university as well as twin blasts in September that killed 41 people.

The Ashura attack was claimed by Islamic State. In July, the Middle East jihadist group, which is struggling to gain a foothold in Afghanistan, claimed bombings that tore through minority Shiite Hazara protesters in Kabul, killing 84 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001.

&nbsp;&#39;It works&#39;&nbsp;

Official data shows up to 300 cars were stolen in Kabul&#39;s streets from March to July , slightly down from last year, but still frustrating for police.

&quot;In some cases they work in gangs, while others work individually snatching cars, especially (the ones) that can easily be unlocked,&quot; says Kabir Ahmad Barmak, chief of Kabul&#39;s eleventh district police.

&quot;They snatch cars parked in vacant streets especially at night, and sometimes turn them into spare parts,&quot; Barmak says, adding police have been forced to use valuable resources on special mobile patrols to tackle the problem.

Officers used to simply slash the tyres, but now take the slightly more considerate route of removing the air nozzles instead.

&quot;When you see these thieves lurking in dark and people recklessly leaving their cars in the open, it makes you think, best way to protect is to damage the tyres,&quot; says another officer in the district, who requested anonymity.

&quot;It is working,&quot; he adds with a triumphant smile. &quot;Fewer people today leave their cars on streets than before.&quot;

But the tactic is angering a public frustrated with the inconvenience and financial burden of repeated repairs.

&quot;Should one expect the police to serve or to hurt?&quot; says Akbar, a customer at a tyre repairing unit on the roadside outside central Kabul&#39;s &quot;Bush Bazaar&quot;, a black market named after US President George W. Bush.

&quot;It is not fair to puncture a car to avert theft... You park your car here for few minutes, it is either stolen by a thief, or damaged by police,&quot; he says.&nbsp;

&quot;That is vandalism, not service.&quot;

Others pointed out they had little option but to leave their cars in the open.

&quot;When you go to the city, there are not many places to park your car except the streets, and then it is gone without much hope for its recovery,&quot; says Ahmad Shoaib, whose car was stolen last month.

But there is one merry, busy segment of the capital that appears to appreciate the situation.

&quot;Police are doing a service,&quot; says handyman Abdul Shukoor at the roadside mobile tire repairing unit, sipping from his steaming tea with a smile.&nbsp;

&quot;They prevent the cars from being stolen and help me make more money.The world is fair.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Their logic is indisputable ? if the car cannot be moved, it cannot be stolen

Police patrol the Afghan capital on a warm Sunday, but not to hunt extremists. Instead, they are deflating the tyres of parked cars, a theft prevention tactic that is raising eyebrows as the country struggles to contain the growing menace of petty crime. Kabul and its estimated five million inhabitants are at war, a prime target for Taliban-led insurgent attacks as well as assaults by a nascent Islamic State. The capital's fledgling police force are under pressure to prevent atrocities, so, short on time and resources, they have taken a scorched earth approach when it comes to tackling more routine petty crime. The logic is indisputable: if the car cannot be moved, it cannot be stolen. "Police politely ask the residents to not park their cars in the open... but when they prefer to pay no heed, then police may move in to remove the air nozzles as a last measure," says Feraidoon Obaidi, chief of Kabul police's criminal investigation department. "We can protect people from both the thieves and the terrorists," he says. "But they should know how much energy we have to put in to stop terrorists in the city. By leaving their cars in the open, they are inviting thieves." A series of attacks have ripped across Kabul in recent months, jihadists armed with bombs and guns killing dozens of people, including the assault targeting Shiites during the Ashura festival earlier in October that left 14 people dead. Most have been carried out by the resurgent Taliban, including attacks on a global charity and a university as well as twin blasts in September that killed 41 people. The Ashura attack was claimed by Islamic State. In July, the Middle East jihadist group, which is struggling to gain a foothold in Afghanistan, claimed bombings that tore through minority Shiite Hazara protesters in Kabul, killing 84 people in the deadliest attack in the capital since 2001. 'It works' Official data shows up to 300 cars were stolen in Kabul's streets from March to July , slightly down from last year, but still frustrating for police. "In some cases they work in gangs, while others work individually snatching cars, especially (the ones) that can easily be unlocked," says Kabir Ahmad Barmak, chief of Kabul's eleventh district police. "They snatch cars parked in vacant streets especially at night, and sometimes turn them into spare parts," Barmak says, adding police have been forced to use valuable resources on special mobile patrols to tackle the problem. Officers used to simply slash the tyres, but now take the slightly more considerate route of removing the air nozzles instead. "When you see these thieves lurking in dark and people recklessly leaving their cars in the open, it makes you think, best way to protect is to damage the tyres," says another officer in the district, who requested anonymity. "It is working," he adds with a triumphant smile. "Fewer people today leave their cars on streets than before." But the tactic is angering a public frustrated with the inconvenience and financial burden of repeated repairs. "Should one expect the police to serve or to hurt?" says Akbar, a customer at a tyre repairing unit on the roadside outside central Kabul's "Bush Bazaar", a black market named after US President George W. Bush. "It is not fair to puncture a car to avert theft... You park your car here for few minutes, it is either stolen by a thief, or damaged by police," he says. "That is vandalism, not service." Others pointed out they had little option but to leave their cars in the open. "When you go to the city, there are not many places to park your car except the streets, and then it is gone without much hope for its recovery," says Ahmad Shoaib, whose car was stolen last month. But there is one merry, busy segment of the capital that appears to appreciate the situation. "Police are doing a service," says handyman Abdul Shukoor at the roadside mobile tire repairing unit, sipping from his steaming tea with a smile. "They prevent the cars from being stolen and help me make more money.The world is fair." (AFP)

Kabul police tackle car theft... by deflating tyres

16-year-old Rababa Mohammadi from Afghanistan&rsquo;s capital, Kabul, was born with partial paralysis in her limbs. The disability, however, does not bring her down anymore. 
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0VqvYvvNTTU?list=PLmWa9ZZLlCjt0Jlg7kN3JBNX4LH1sRsGh" width="970"></iframe> &nbsp; 
 
She saw the adverse conditions as an opportunity for herself and learnt to draw and paint using her mouth.&nbsp;The highly talented Afghan girl has decided to not let her disability stop her dreams of becoming a well-known artist. 
 
The amateur teenage painter recently became a rage on social media when she drew a sketch of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

The teenage painter became a rage on social media when she drew a sketch of Canadian PM

16-year-old Rababa Mohammadi from Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, was born with partial paralysis in her limbs. The disability, however, does not bring her down anymore. She saw the adverse conditions as an opportunity for herself and learnt to draw and paint using her mouth. The highly talented Afghan girl has decided to not let her disability stop her dreams of becoming a well-known artist. The amateur teenage painter recently became a rage on social media when she drew a sketch of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Video: Disabled Afghan girl paints using her mouth

At least four people were wounded in Afghan capital of Kabul today when an explosion hit a bus carrying government employees during rush hour traffic, police and witnesses told Reuters news agency.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A spokesman for the interior ministry, Sediq Seqqi.&nbsp;said: &quot;The target appeared to be a bus carrying employees of the ministry of mining and petroleum.&quot;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The blast was reported at around 5 pm (1230 GMT) on a major road near a university and an old parliament building.

&nbsp;

Reuters quoted officials as saying that three men and one woman were among the wounded.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The target appeared to be a bus carrying employees of the ministry of mining and petroleum, an official said

At least four people were wounded in Afghan capital of Kabul today when an explosion hit a bus carrying government employees during rush hour traffic, police and witnesses told Reuters news agency. A spokesman for the interior ministry, Sediq Seqqi. said: "The target appeared to be a bus carrying employees of the ministry of mining and petroleum." The blast was reported at around 5 pm (1230 GMT) on a major road near a university and an old parliament building. Reuters quoted officials as saying that three men and one woman were among the wounded. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Explosion hits bus carrying government employees in Kabul, at least four injured

Afghan security forces searched the American University in Kabul in the early hours of today for suspected gunmen who might be still at large, following an attack on the compound that sent students fleeing in panic. 
 
Militants stormed into the complex at around 6.30 pm local time (1400 GMT) yesterday after a car bomb explosion followed by gunfire. &nbsp;One person, reportedly a guard, was killed and at least 14 students were wounded. It was not clear whether foreigners were among those hurt. 
 
Special forces surrounded the walled compound and made their way inside, according to a senior interior ministry official. The ministry&#39;s spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, said late yesterday that two gunmen were hiding in the university building. 
 
Early today, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told the media that the area was quiet and that security forces were looking to flush out any remaining gunmen. 
 
&quot;We are inside buildings and a clearance operation is ongoing. We do not know if any attacker or attackers are still alive.&quot; 
 
He declined to speak further, saying the light from his cell phone could make him a target for any assailants at large. 
 
Desperate escapes 
 
Terrified students recounted barricading themselves in classrooms or jumping from the second floor in order to escape. Most appeared to have got away. 
 
Some even took to social media in a desperate call for help. 
 
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&quot;Many students jumped from the second floor, some broke their legs and some hurt their head trying to escape,&quot; Abdullah Fahimi, a student who escaped. He injured his ankle making the leap. &quot;We were in the class when we heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire. It was very close. Some students were crying, others were screaming.&quot; 
 
Ahmad Mukhtar, who also fled, said the gunmen had got into the university buildings despite security measures including armed guards and watchtowers. 
 
&quot;I finished my class and was about to leave when I heard a few gunshots and a huge explosion, followed by more gunfire,&quot; he said. &quot;I ran toward the emergency exit with other students, climbed the wall and jumped outside.&quot; 
 
No one has taken responsibility for the university raid. It was the second time this month that the university or its staff had been targeted. 
 
Two teachers, an American and an Australian, remain missing after being abducted at gunpoint from a road nearby on Aug. 7. 
 
The American University of Afghanistan has about 1,700 students and advertises itself as the country&#39;s only not-for-profit, &quot;non-partisan&quot;, co-educational university. It opened in 2006 and caters to full-time and part-time students. 
 
The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation in Kabul following the university attack, and that forces from the US-led coalition were involved in the response in an advise and assist role. 
 
State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US embassy was working to account for all of its personnel and to locate and assist any US citizens affected by the attack. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Kabul police chief said that a clearance operation was ongoing inside the buildings but they did not know if the attacker/s were still alive

Afghan security forces searched the American University in Kabul in the early hours of today for suspected gunmen who might be still at large, following an attack on the compound that sent students fleeing in panic. Militants stormed into the complex at around 6.30 pm local time (1400 GMT) yesterday after a car bomb explosion followed by gunfire. One person, reportedly a guard, was killed and at least 14 students were wounded. It was not clear whether foreigners were among those hurt. Special forces surrounded the walled compound and made their way inside, according to a senior interior ministry official. The ministry's spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, said late yesterday that two gunmen were hiding in the university building. Early today, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told the media that the area was quiet and that security forces were looking to flush out any remaining gunmen. "We are inside buildings and a clearance operation is ongoing. We do not know if any attacker or attackers are still alive." He declined to speak further, saying the light from his cell phone could make him a target for any assailants at large. Desperate escapes Terrified students recounted barricading themselves in classrooms or jumping from the second floor in order to escape. Most appeared to have got away. Some even took to social media in a desperate call for help. "Many students jumped from the second floor, some broke their legs and some hurt their head trying to escape," Abdullah Fahimi, a student who escaped. He injured his ankle making the leap. "We were in the class when we heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire. It was very close. Some students were crying, others were screaming." Ahmad Mukhtar, who also fled, said the gunmen had got into the university buildings despite security measures including armed guards and watchtowers. "I finished my class and was about to leave when I heard a few gunshots and a huge explosion, followed by more gunfire," he said. "I ran toward the emergency exit with other students, climbed the wall and jumped outside." No one has taken responsibility for the university raid. It was the second time this month that the university or its staff had been targeted. Two teachers, an American and an Australian, remain missing after being abducted at gunpoint from a road nearby on Aug. 7. The American University of Afghanistan has about 1,700 students and advertises itself as the country's only not-for-profit, "non-partisan", co-educational university. It opened in 2006 and caters to full-time and part-time students. The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation in Kabul following the university attack, and that forces from the US-led coalition were involved in the response in an advise and assist role. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US embassy was working to account for all of its personnel and to locate and assist any US citizens affected by the attack. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Afghan forces hunt for American University attackers

Suspected militants attacked the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul yesterday, trapping foreign staff and dozens of students inside the campus. 
 
At least one student was killed and 14 wounded in the attack, Mohammad Saleem Rasouly, head of hospitals in the Afghan capital, told the media. 
 
Dozens of special forces surrounded the university compound, where shooting lasted for more than an hour after the attack started yesterday evening around 6.30 pm (1400 GMT). 
 
Witnesses at the scene said gunfire had since stopped, and special forces had made their way into the compound. 
 
&quot;I heard explosions and gunfire is going on close by our classroom is filled with smoke and dust,&quot; said an anxious student. 
 
&quot;We are stuck inside and very afraid,&quot; she said via telephone. 
 
Students used classroom furniture to barricade the doors while many others tweeted desperate messages for help. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUAF?src=hash">#AUAF</a> under attack. I along with my friends escaped and several other of of my friends and professors trapped inside.
&mdash; Ahmad Mukhtar (@AhMukhtar) <a href="https://twitter.com/AhMukhtar/status/768465612884602881">August 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
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Associated Press photojournalist Massoud Hossaini, who was among the trapped, was said to be wounded and later managed to escape with some fellow students. 
 
&quot;Many students have been evacuated,&quot; said interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi, adding that there were no immediate reports of any hostages taken by the attackers. &quot;We are not sure about the number of attackers but our special forces have started clearance operations.&quot; 
 
US military advisers were assisting Afghan forces to respond to the attack, an American defense official said. 
 
Kabul-based journalist Ahmad Mukhtar, a university student, tweeted that he managed to escape but &quot;several of my friends and professors (are) trapped inside&quot;. 
 
Ambulances rushed to the scene as erratic gunshots rang out from inside the campus. 
 
The Italian-run Emergency Hospital in Kabul tweeted that at least five wounded people had been brought to the facility for treatment. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/emergency_ong">@emergency_ong</a> hospital has opened mass casualties procedures for the wounded of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericanUniversity?src=hash">#AmericanUniversity</a> attack, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a>. <a href="https://t.co/oU8YiouKpT">pic.twitter.com/oU8YiouKpT</a>
&mdash; EMERGENCY (@emergency_ong) <a href="https://twitter.com/emergency_ong/status/768506326649606144">August 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash">#Afghanistan</a>. The American university in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> currently under attack. 5 wounded trasferred to <a href="https://twitter.com/emergency_ong">@emergency_ong</a> hospital.
&mdash; EMERGENCY (@emergency_ong) <a href="https://twitter.com/emergency_ong/status/768479244339077120">August 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
 
So far no group has claimed responsibility for the assault, which comes just weeks after two university professors - an American and an Australian - were kidnapped at gunpoint near the school. 
 
The attack, which underscores the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, comes as Taliban insurgents step up their summer fighting season against the Western-backed Kabul government. 
 
The management of the American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, was not immediately reachable for comment. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Students used classroom furniture to barricade the doors while many others tweeted desperate messages for help

Suspected militants attacked the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul yesterday, trapping foreign staff and dozens of students inside the campus. At least one student was killed and 14 wounded in the attack, Mohammad Saleem Rasouly, head of hospitals in the Afghan capital, told the media. Dozens of special forces surrounded the university compound, where shooting lasted for more than an hour after the attack started yesterday evening around 6.30 pm (1400 GMT). Witnesses at the scene said gunfire had since stopped, and special forces had made their way into the compound. "I heard explosions and gunfire is going on close by our classroom is filled with smoke and dust," said an anxious student. "We are stuck inside and very afraid," she said via telephone. Students used classroom furniture to barricade the doors while many others tweeted desperate messages for help. #AUAF under attack. I along with my friends escaped and several other of of my friends and professors trapped inside. — Ahmad Mukhtar (@AhMukhtar) August 24, 2016 Associated Press photojournalist Massoud Hossaini, who was among the trapped, was said to be wounded and later managed to escape with some fellow students. "Many students have been evacuated," said interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi, adding that there were no immediate reports of any hostages taken by the attackers. "We are not sure about the number of attackers but our special forces have started clearance operations." US military advisers were assisting Afghan forces to respond to the attack, an American defense official said. Kabul-based journalist Ahmad Mukhtar, a university student, tweeted that he managed to escape but "several of my friends and professors (are) trapped inside". Ambulances rushed to the scene as erratic gunshots rang out from inside the campus. The Italian-run Emergency Hospital in Kabul tweeted that at least five wounded people had been brought to the facility for treatment. @emergency_ong hospital has opened mass casualties procedures for the wounded of #AmericanUniversity attack, #Kabul. pic.twitter.com/oU8YiouKpT — EMERGENCY (@emergency_ong) August 24, 2016 #Afghanistan. The American university in #Kabul currently under attack. 5 wounded trasferred to @emergency_ong hospital. — EMERGENCY (@emergency_ong) August 24, 2016 So far no group has claimed responsibility for the assault, which comes just weeks after two university professors - an American and an Australian - were kidnapped at gunpoint near the school. The attack, which underscores the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, comes as Taliban insurgents step up their summer fighting season against the Western-backed Kabul government. The management of the American University of Afghanistan, which opened in 2006 and enrols more than 1,700 students, was not immediately reachable for comment. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Militants attack American University in Kabul, at least one dead

Indian woman Judith D&#39;Souza, abducted in Afghanistan&#39;s Kabul, was rescued today morning, said Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in a tweet.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I am happy to inform you that Judith D&#39;souza has been rescued. <a href="https://twitter.com/jeromedsouza">@jeromedsouza</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/756657643419160577">July 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
 
D&#39;Souza was kidnapped from the Tamani area of Kabul&nbsp;on June 9 while she was returning home. On June 10, in the wee hours of the morning, family members of D&#39;Souza, residing in India&#39;s eastern state of West Bengal had received a call from the Indian embassy in Afghanistan informing them of her abduction. 
 
Since then, her family had written to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on several occasions.&nbsp; 
 
A day back, D&#39;Souza&#39;s brother Jerome had met Swaraj in person and she had assured him that his sister will be brought back home safe.&nbsp; 
 
D&#39;Souza had been working with a non-profit organisation (NGO), Aga Khan Foundation, for a year in Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
 
(DNA)

Judith D'Souza, who worked with the Aga Khan Foundation, was kidnapped from the Tamani area of Kabul on June 9

Indian woman Judith D'Souza, abducted in Afghanistan's Kabul, was rescued today morning, said Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in a tweet. I am happy to inform you that Judith D'souza has been rescued. @jeromedsouza — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 23, 2016 D'Souza was kidnapped from the Tamani area of Kabul on June 9 while she was returning home. On June 10, in the wee hours of the morning, family members of D'Souza, residing in India's eastern state of West Bengal had received a call from the Indian embassy in Afghanistan informing them of her abduction. Since then, her family had written to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on several occasions. A day back, D'Souza's brother Jerome had met Swaraj in person and she had assured him that his sister will be brought back home safe. D'Souza had been working with a non-profit organisation (NGO), Aga Khan Foundation, for a year in Afghanistan. (DNA)

Indian aid worker who was abducted in Kabul rescued

The Afghan Taliban said today they were launching new operations after the end of the holy month of Ramadan, dismissing reports that they had been weakened following a change of leadership in May. 
 
Afghan government and NATO officials have said government forces have had growing success against the Taliban since US commanders were granted more freedom to conduct air strikes and other operations against the insurgents. 
 
They have also pointed to apparent leadership problems within the Taliban since former leader Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike and replaced by the hardline cleric Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. 
 
The Taliban&#39;s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said reports of a reduction in insurgent operations during Ramadan reflected a natural slowdown during one of the hottest periods of the year when Muslims are required not to eat or drink during daylight hours. 
 
&quot;But the commanders of the American occupation forces and the puppet figures in Kabul got the wrong impression from this situation and think that Mujahideen have been weakened or are facing problems due to the change in leadership,&quot; he said. 
 
With the end of Ramadan and the Eid holiday immediately afterwards, the insurgents, who are seeking to force the NATO-led coalition out of Afghanistan and bring in Islamic law, were moving on to the offensive and had seized three district centres in the past 24 hours. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

'Reduction in insurgent operations during Ramadan reflected a natural slowdown'

The Afghan Taliban said today they were launching new operations after the end of the holy month of Ramadan, dismissing reports that they had been weakened following a change of leadership in May. Afghan government and NATO officials have said government forces have had growing success against the Taliban since US commanders were granted more freedom to conduct air strikes and other operations against the insurgents. They have also pointed to apparent leadership problems within the Taliban since former leader Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike and replaced by the hardline cleric Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada. The Taliban's chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said reports of a reduction in insurgent operations during Ramadan reflected a natural slowdown during one of the hottest periods of the year when Muslims are required not to eat or drink during daylight hours. "But the commanders of the American occupation forces and the puppet figures in Kabul got the wrong impression from this situation and think that Mujahideen have been weakened or are facing problems due to the change in leadership," he said. With the end of Ramadan and the Eid holiday immediately afterwards, the insurgents, who are seeking to force the NATO-led coalition out of Afghanistan and bring in Islamic law, were moving on to the offensive and had seized three district centres in the past 24 hours. (Reuters)

Dismissing slowdown after leadership change, Afghan Taliban announces new operations

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

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