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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Islamic State militants launch new attacks in eastern Afghanistan

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

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

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

Nepal bars its citizens from working in Afghanistan

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

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

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

Afghanistan's dwindling Sikh, Hindu communities flee new abuses

Nepal&#39;s Prime Minister said on Monday that he was shocked by the deaths of 14 security guards in a suicide bomb attack on their bus in Kabul, as his government made plans to fly their bodies back. 
 
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli said his government strongly condemned the attack, which also wounded five Nepali citizens and four Afghans. 
&quot;I express my heartfelt condolences for the victims,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
&quot;I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in the suicide attack in Kabul. Nepal government strongly condemns the Kabul incident.&quot; 
 
Nepal&#39;s foreign ministry said it was working to repatriate the bodies of the victims, who were employed by the private security company Sabre International to guard the Canadian embassy in Kabul. 
 
Authorities said around 3,300 Nepalis were currently working in Afghanistan as security guards. 
 
A number of them are former soldiers with the Gurkha brigades of the Indian and British armies. 
 
Four Nepali guards were killed in a 2011 attack on a UN compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. 
(AFP)

The Nepalese government is working to fly back the bodies of 14 security guards who died in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul

Nepal's Prime Minister said on Monday that he was shocked by the deaths of 14 security guards in a suicide bomb attack on their bus in Kabul, as his government made plans to fly their bodies back. Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli said his government strongly condemned the attack, which also wounded five Nepali citizens and four Afghans. "I express my heartfelt condolences for the victims," he tweeted. "I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in the suicide attack in Kabul. Nepal government strongly condemns the Kabul incident." Nepal's foreign ministry said it was working to repatriate the bodies of the victims, who were employed by the private security company Sabre International to guard the Canadian embassy in Kabul. Authorities said around 3,300 Nepalis were currently working in Afghanistan as security guards. A number of them are former soldiers with the Gurkha brigades of the Indian and British armies. Four Nepali guards were killed in a 2011 attack on a UN compound in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. (AFP)

Nepal expresses 'shock' over killing of security guards in Kabul

<div paraeid="{7cd7d545-3c55-4429-99ca-44056e2acd0c}{171}" paraid="1084439786" style="text-align: justify;">A suicide bomber killed at least 14&nbsp;and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, early on Monday, officials said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus,&nbsp;while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the&nbsp;Banae&nbsp;district of the city.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Interior ministry spokesman&nbsp;Sediq&nbsp;Sediqqi&nbsp;said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman&nbsp;Rahimi&nbsp;said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded.&nbsp; 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&nbsp;condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments&nbsp;of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives,&quot;&nbsp;he said in a tweet.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy,&quot;&nbsp;PM Modi said.&nbsp; 
 
Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber&nbsp;targetted&nbsp;their minibus in the Afghan capital.&nbsp;</div>

<div lang="EN-US" paraeid="{f23f86b4-ee90-4eb1-a59c-786669d4565c}{46}" paraid="1549737129" style="text-align: justify;" >There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam&#39;s holy month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The blast follows a deadly suicide attack on a bus carrying justice ministry staff near Kabul last month and a separate attack on a court in the central city of&nbsp;Ghazni&nbsp;on June 1.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The Taliban claimed both those attacks in revenge for the execution of six Taliban prisoners.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
(Agencies)</div>

He blew up a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors

A suicide bomber killed at least 14 and wounded eight in an attack on a minibus carrying Nepalese security contractors in the Afghan capital, Kabul, early on Monday, officials said. A Reuters witness saw several apparently dead victims and at least two wounded being carried out of the yellow bus, while police and emergency service vehicles surrounded the scene in the Banae district of the city. The attack was the latest in a recent surge of violence that highlights the challenges faced by the Afghan government in Kabul and its Western backers as Washington slowly draws down its remaining troops despite a persistent insurgency. Interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter that 14 people had been killed and eight wounded. Police were working to identify the victims, he said. The casualties appeared to include both Afghans and Nepalese security contractors, Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said. He said the suicide bomber had waited near the compound housing the security contractors and struck as the vehicle moved through early morning traffic. As well as the bus passengers, several people in an adjacent market were also wounded. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack on the minibus that was carrying Nepalese security guards in Kabul. He said India will provide all assistance to Nepal government in this hour of tragedy. "We strongly condemn the horrible tragedy in Kabul. Our deep condolences to the people and governments of Afghanistan and Nepal on the loss of innocent lives," he said in a tweet. "We are taking steps to provide all relevant assistance to the Nepal government in this hour of tragedy," PM Modi said. Fourteen Nepalese security guards were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber targetted their minibus in the Afghan capital. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred during Ramadan, Islam's holy month. It underlined how serious the security threat facing Afghanistan remains since the death of former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour in a US drone strike last month. The blast follows a deadly suicide attack on a bus carrying justice ministry staff near Kabul last month and a separate attack on a court in the central city of Ghazni on June 1. The Taliban claimed both those attacks in revenge for the execution of six Taliban prisoners. (Agencies)

Suicide bomber kills 14, wounds 8 in Kabul

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

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

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

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

A Pakistani military officer died today after being shot by Afghan forces during a clash at the Torkham border, Pakistan&#39;s military said, a development likely to ratchet up tension between the neighbours who sources said were beefing up troop numbers on either side. 
 
The main gates at Torkham remained closed for a third day on today, leaving thousands stranded on either side of the most frequented official border crossing at the end of the Khyber Pass. 
 
Firing between Pakistani and Afghan forces first broke out on Sunday evening at the crossing, about 45 km (28 miles) west of Peshawar, over the construction of a new border post on the Pakistani side. 
 
Major Jawad Ali Changezi was among nine Pakistani soldiers killed and six Afghan troops who were wounded in the fighting, according to security officials. One Afghan soldier was killed, Afghan officials said on Monday. 
 
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s office and the Pakistani military&#39;s press wing confirmed Changezi&#39;s death. 
 
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained for months. Kabul says Pakistan is harbouring militants seeking to overthrow the Afghan government, including the Haqqani Network and the leadership of the Afghan Taliban. 
 
Pakistan denies it supports militants and says it is building the gate at Torkham to stop the movement of militants across the border. 
 
&quot;This gate (is) considered essential to check &amp; verify documentation of all border crossers,&quot; tweeted Asim Bajwa, the Pakistani military&#39;s chief spokesperson, on Monday. 
Today, Afghanistan summoned the Pakistani ambassador to register its protest at the violence. Pakistan had similarly summoned the Afghan Charge d&#39;Affaires in Islamabad on Monday. 
 
Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the army had moved heavy weaponry and additional troops to the Afghan border on Monday night. 
 
On Monday, an Afghan border police commander also confirmed that reinforcements had been deployed to the Afghan side of the border. 
 
The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has long remained porous and disputed. Afghanistan has blocked repeated attempts by Pakistan to build a fence on sections of the roughly 2,200km (1,370 mile) long frontier, rejecting the contours of the boundary.

Gates at Torkham remained close leaving thousands stranded on either side of the border crossing at the end of Khyber Pass

A Pakistani military officer died today after being shot by Afghan forces during a clash at the Torkham border, Pakistan's military said, a development likely to ratchet up tension between the neighbours who sources said were beefing up troop numbers on either side. The main gates at Torkham remained closed for a third day on today, leaving thousands stranded on either side of the most frequented official border crossing at the end of the Khyber Pass. Firing between Pakistani and Afghan forces first broke out on Sunday evening at the crossing, about 45 km (28 miles) west of Peshawar, over the construction of a new border post on the Pakistani side. Major Jawad Ali Changezi was among nine Pakistani soldiers killed and six Afghan troops who were wounded in the fighting, according to security officials. One Afghan soldier was killed, Afghan officials said on Monday. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's office and the Pakistani military's press wing confirmed Changezi's death. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained for months. Kabul says Pakistan is harbouring militants seeking to overthrow the Afghan government, including the Haqqani Network and the leadership of the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan denies it supports militants and says it is building the gate at Torkham to stop the movement of militants across the border. "This gate (is) considered essential to check & verify documentation of all border crossers," tweeted Asim Bajwa, the Pakistani military's chief spokesperson, on Monday. Today, Afghanistan summoned the Pakistani ambassador to register its protest at the violence. Pakistan had similarly summoned the Afghan Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad on Monday. Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the army had moved heavy weaponry and additional troops to the Afghan border on Monday night. On Monday, an Afghan border police commander also confirmed that reinforcements had been deployed to the Afghan side of the border. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has long remained porous and disputed. Afghanistan has blocked repeated attempts by Pakistan to build a fence on sections of the roughly 2,200km (1,370 mile) long frontier, rejecting the contours of the boundary.

Soldiers killed during Pakistan,Afghanistan clash at Torkham border

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday launched restoration work at Kabul`s historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have long symbolised the suffering caused by decades of conflict.&nbsp; 
 
The once-grand hilltop palace at the edge of Kabul was also the venue of Ghani`s cabinet meeting on Monday, the first such official gathering there in nearly a century. 
 
The building`s lion-headed buttresses are broken, its colonnades pockmarked by bullets, the metal sheets of its roof crumpled.&nbsp; 
Up to $20 million will be spent on restoring the former glory of the palace, built by Afghan King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s, Ghani`s office said, calling the project a symbol of national pride. 
 
&quot;Today we are returning to our past... to set the foundation for our future,&quot; Ghani said at the inauguration of the project.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We are determined to reconstruct the historical structure from the budget of the Afghan government.&quot; 
 
The palace fell victim to the carnage of the early 1990s as rival mujahideen groups fought for power following the fall of a Soviet-backed regime after Moscow withdrew its troops from Afghanistan.&nbsp; 
 
Despite Ghani`s rhetoric, some in Kabul were against the restoration, however -- albeit for different reasons. 
&quot;I think it is a waste of money,&quot; Daud Hotak, a Kabul shopkeeper, told AFP. 
&quot;It comes at a time when the economy is in free fall and security is deteriorating. That money could have been spent to create jobs as thousands of people flee the country.&quot; 
 
Omaid Sharifi, a civil society activist, also pleaded against the restoration, though from a different perspective.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
President <a href="https://twitter.com/ashrafghani">@ashrafghani</a> keep <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DarulamanPalace?src=hash">#DarulamanPalace</a> like this, let&#39;s remind our younger generation the brutality of war <a href="https://t.co/EzzYglMbhZ">pic.twitter.com/EzzYglMbhZ</a>
&mdash; Omaid Sharifi (@OmaidSharifi) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmaidSharifi/status/737168607227088896">May 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday launched restoration work at Kabul`s historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have long symbolised the suffering caused by decades of conflict.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday launched restoration work at Kabul`s historic Darul Aman Palace, whose bombed out ruins have long symbolised the suffering caused by decades of conflict. The once-grand hilltop palace at the edge of Kabul was also the venue of Ghani`s cabinet meeting on Monday, the first such official gathering there in nearly a century. The building`s lion-headed buttresses are broken, its colonnades pockmarked by bullets, the metal sheets of its roof crumpled. Up to $20 million will be spent on restoring the former glory of the palace, built by Afghan King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s, Ghani`s office said, calling the project a symbol of national pride. "Today we are returning to our past... to set the foundation for our future," Ghani said at the inauguration of the project. "We are determined to reconstruct the historical structure from the budget of the Afghan government." The palace fell victim to the carnage of the early 1990s as rival mujahideen groups fought for power following the fall of a Soviet-backed regime after Moscow withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. Despite Ghani`s rhetoric, some in Kabul were against the restoration, however -- albeit for different reasons. "I think it is a waste of money," Daud Hotak, a Kabul shopkeeper, told AFP. "It comes at a time when the economy is in free fall and security is deteriorating. That money could have been spent to create jobs as thousands of people flee the country." Omaid Sharifi, a civil society activist, also pleaded against the restoration, though from a different perspective. President @ashrafghani keep #DarulamanPalace like this, let's remind our younger generation the brutality of war pic.twitter.com/EzzYglMbhZ — Omaid Sharifi (@OmaidSharifi) May 30, 2016

Restoration starts at Kabul`s war-battered palace

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

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

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

Hopes and fears for jobs as Afghan cement factory reopens

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