<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/five-killed-in-sectarian-attack-in-pakistan-official-21231" target="_blank">Pakistani</a> troops shot out the tyres of a vehicle carrying a kidnapped US-Canadian couple and their children in a raid that led to the family&#39;s release, a Pakistani security official said on Friday.

The operation late on Wednesday freed American Caitlan Campbell, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three children who were born in captivity following five years as hostages of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

Taliban sources said the family spent most of their captivity at Haqqani strongholds inside Pakistan, and not in Afghanistan as early Pakistani reports had indicated.

A senior Pakistani security source on Friday detailed how the family, who were expected to leave Pakistan on Friday, were freed following a car chase in Pakistan&#39;s northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

He said Pakistani troops and intelligence agents, acting on a US intelligence tip, zeroed in on a vehicle holding the family as they were being moved in Kurram agency.

Agents from Pakistan&#39;s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy-agency and army soldiers attempted to intercept the vehicle, but it sped away and was chased into a district in northwest Pakistan, according to the security source.

&quot;Our troops fired at the vehicle and burst its tyres,&quot; he said, declining to be identified because he is not authorised to speak openly to the media.

The kidnappers managed to escape, the security official added, saying the troops wouldn&#39;t fire at the fleeing captors for fear of harming the hostages. The army recovered the hostages safely from the car.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, military spokesman for Pakistan&#39;s army, told NBC News that the vehicle&#39;s driver and another militant had escaped to a nearby refugee camp.

A second Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US drones had been circling the town of Kohat, on the edge of the tribal areas on Wednesday, suggesting US co-operation included sophisticated surveillance inside Pakistan.

The US embassy in Pakistan declined to comment on the drone report.

The family&#39;s rescue has been hailed by US President Donald Trump as a &quot;positive moment&quot; for US-Pakistan relations, which have frayed in recent years amid Washington&#39;s assertions that Islamabad was not doing enough to tackle Haqqani militants who are believed to be on Pakistani soil.

Trump, in a statement, said the release of the hostages indicates Pakistan was acquiescing to &quot;America&#39;s wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region&quot;.

Pakistani officials bristle at claims Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle Islamist militants. After the release of the family, they emphasised the importance of co-operation and intelligence sharing by Washington, which has threatened to cut military aid and other punitive measures against Pakistan.

Hostages Location

Pakistan&#39;s military said the family was rescued after entering Pakistan from Afghanistan, but two Taliban sources with knowledge of the family&#39;s captivity said they had been kept in Pakistan in recent years.

A US government source in Washington also said there was no indication the family had been in Afghanistan.

The Haqqani network operates on both sides of the porous Afghan-Pakistani border but senior militants have acknowledged they moved a major base of operations to Kurram agency in the tribal areas.

Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, on Thursday told Reuters that the US military had been ready to fly the family out of the country after they were freed but said Boyle, who is Canadian, had refused to board the aircraft.

Canada&#39;s Toronto Star newspaper reported that Boyle told his parents that he asked to be taken to the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad after their rescue.

Boyle had been a staunch critic of the human rights abuses in the US&nbsp;war on terror after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and was previously married for a year to the sister of an inmate at the US military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

The Star reported that Boyle said he sustained minor shrapnel wounds during the shootout.

The operation late on Wednesday freed American Caitlan Campbell, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three children who were born in captivity following five years as hostages of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network

Pakistani troops shot out the tyres of a vehicle carrying a kidnapped US-Canadian couple and their children in a raid that led to the family's release, a Pakistani security official said on Friday. The operation late on Wednesday freed American Caitlan Campbell, her Canadian husband Joshua Boyle and their three children who were born in captivity following five years as hostages of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network. Taliban sources said the family spent most of their captivity at Haqqani strongholds inside Pakistan, and not in Afghanistan as early Pakistani reports had indicated. A senior Pakistani security source on Friday detailed how the family, who were expected to leave Pakistan on Friday, were freed following a car chase in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan. He said Pakistani troops and intelligence agents, acting on a US intelligence tip, zeroed in on a vehicle holding the family as they were being moved in Kurram agency. Agents from Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy-agency and army soldiers attempted to intercept the vehicle, but it sped away and was chased into a district in northwest Pakistan, according to the security source. "Our troops fired at the vehicle and burst its tyres," he said, declining to be identified because he is not authorised to speak openly to the media. The kidnappers managed to escape, the security official added, saying the troops wouldn't fire at the fleeing captors for fear of harming the hostages. The army recovered the hostages safely from the car. Major General Asif Ghafoor, military spokesman for Pakistan's army, told NBC News that the vehicle's driver and another militant had escaped to a nearby refugee camp. A second Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US drones had been circling the town of Kohat, on the edge of the tribal areas on Wednesday, suggesting US co-operation included sophisticated surveillance inside Pakistan. The US embassy in Pakistan declined to comment on the drone report. The family's rescue has been hailed by US President Donald Trump as a "positive moment" for US-Pakistan relations, which have frayed in recent years amid Washington's assertions that Islamabad was not doing enough to tackle Haqqani militants who are believed to be on Pakistani soil. Trump, in a statement, said the release of the hostages indicates Pakistan was acquiescing to "America's wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region". Pakistani officials bristle at claims Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle Islamist militants. After the release of the family, they emphasised the importance of co-operation and intelligence sharing by Washington, which has threatened to cut military aid and other punitive measures against Pakistan. Hostages Location Pakistan's military said the family was rescued after entering Pakistan from Afghanistan, but two Taliban sources with knowledge of the family's captivity said they had been kept in Pakistan in recent years. A US government source in Washington also said there was no indication the family had been in Afghanistan. The Haqqani network operates on both sides of the porous Afghan-Pakistani border but senior militants have acknowledged they moved a major base of operations to Kurram agency in the tribal areas. Two US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, on Thursday told Reuters that the US military had been ready to fly the family out of the country after they were freed but said Boyle, who is Canadian, had refused to board the aircraft. Canada's Toronto Star newspaper reported that Boyle told his parents that he asked to be taken to the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad after their rescue. Boyle had been a staunch critic of the human rights abuses in the US war on terror after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and was previously married for a year to the sister of an inmate at the US military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay. The Star reported that Boyle said he sustained minor shrapnel wounds during the shootout.

Pakistan troops helped free US-Canadian family held captive: Pak official

Gunmen killed five men, including three Shia Muslims from the ethnic Hazara minority, in southwest Pakistan on Monday, a police official said, giving details of the second shooting targeting Hazaras in a month.

The attack took place in Quetta, where nearly half a million Hazaras have settled since fleeing Afghanistan to escape the violence in their homeland during the past four decades.

The attackers opened fire from a motorcycle killing the five men who were travelling in the back of a pick-up truck, on their way to sell vegetables at a market, the official said.

&quot;It was a sectarian target killing,&quot; senior police officer Malik Nisar told Reuters, adding that the attackers escaped after opening fire.

&quot;It was unclear initially, but now we know that it was three Hazaras among the five people killed,&quot; he said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Hazaras are frequently targeted by Taliban and Islamic State militants, and other Sunni Muslim militant groups in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

More than 20 Hazaras have been killed in similar<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/balochistan-suicide-attack-outside-sufi-shrine-kills-13-wounds-20-21057" target="_blank"> shootings in Baluchistan </a>in the past two years, police say.

In 2013, three separate bombings killed over 200 people in Hazara neighbourhoods, raising international awareness of the plight of the community.

The ongoing violence in Pakistan&#39;s Baluchistan province has fuelled concern about security for projects in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan&rsquo;s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

A suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine in the Baluch town of Jhal Magsi on Thursday killed 22 people and wounded more than 30 others.

The bombing was claimed by Islamic State and is the latest sectarian attack in the restive province.

Taliban and other Sunni Islamist militants are active in the province, while ethnic Baluch separatists have run a low-level insurgency for decades, mounting attacks on security forces and other targets linked to the central government.

Elsewhere in Pakistan on Monday, an official said gunmen killed three soldiers and wounded eight in an attack on their vehicle in the semi-autonomous tribal region of North Waziristan.

North Waziristan was a Taliban stronghold until 2014 when Pakistan&#39;s military launched a major offensive against the group and pushed many of its fighters across the border into Afghanistan.

Following Monday&#39;s attack, security forces closed off roads in Razmak district, and surrounding villages.

The attack took place in Quetta, where nearly half a million Hazaras have settled since fleeing Afghanistan to escape the violence in their homeland during the past four decades

Gunmen killed five men, including three Shia Muslims from the ethnic Hazara minority, in southwest Pakistan on Monday, a police official said, giving details of the second shooting targeting Hazaras in a month. The attack took place in Quetta, where nearly half a million Hazaras have settled since fleeing Afghanistan to escape the violence in their homeland during the past four decades. The attackers opened fire from a motorcycle killing the five men who were travelling in the back of a pick-up truck, on their way to sell vegetables at a market, the official said. "It was a sectarian target killing," senior police officer Malik Nisar told Reuters, adding that the attackers escaped after opening fire. "It was unclear initially, but now we know that it was three Hazaras among the five people killed," he said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Hazaras are frequently targeted by Taliban and Islamic State militants, and other Sunni Muslim militant groups in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. More than 20 Hazaras have been killed in similar shootings in Baluchistan in the past two years, police say. In 2013, three separate bombings killed over 200 people in Hazara neighbourhoods, raising international awareness of the plight of the community. The ongoing violence in Pakistan's Baluchistan province has fuelled concern about security for projects in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan’s southern deep-water port of Gwadar. A suicide bombing at a Sufi shrine in the Baluch town of Jhal Magsi on Thursday killed 22 people and wounded more than 30 others. The bombing was claimed by Islamic State and is the latest sectarian attack in the restive province. Taliban and other Sunni Islamist militants are active in the province, while ethnic Baluch separatists have run a low-level insurgency for decades, mounting attacks on security forces and other targets linked to the central government. Elsewhere in Pakistan on Monday, an official said gunmen killed three soldiers and wounded eight in an attack on their vehicle in the semi-autonomous tribal region of North Waziristan. North Waziristan was a Taliban stronghold until 2014 when Pakistan's military launched a major offensive against the group and pushed many of its fighters across the border into Afghanistan. Following Monday's attack, security forces closed off roads in Razmak district, and surrounding villages.

Gunmen target Hazara minority in southwest Pakistan, 5 dead

At least a dozen Afghan security forces were killed when a suicide attacker driving an explosives-packed Humvee blew himself up in the southern province of Kandahar, police said Thursday.

The Taliban claimed the deadly assault on the government and police headquarters in Maroof district that also wounded several others.

&quot;Twelve security forces were killed and four others were wounded,&quot; Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durrani told AFP.

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<h5>Twelve security forces were killed and four others were wounded,&#39; Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durrani said</h5>
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Durrani said the Taliban attackers had been &quot;defeated&quot;.

A border police commander in Maroof, which borders Pakistan, gave a slightly higher toll, telling AFP that 14 security personnel had been killed and eight wounded in the attack that happened late Wednesday.&nbsp;

&quot;The intensity of the blast caused damage to the building and led to casualties,&quot; he said.

&quot;The clean-up operation is under way in the area.&quot;

The attack is the latest deadly assault by the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since US-led NATO combat troops withdrew in 2014 and now controls swathes of territory across the country.&nbsp;

During a high-profile visit by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, insurgents launched a volley of rockets near the city&#39;s international airport.

A US airstrike launched in support of Afghan security forces who had confronted the attackers caused &quot;several casualties&quot; when a missile malfunctioned.&nbsp;

One person was killed and 11 others wounded in the assault that lasted several hours, according to the interior ministry.

Police said the attacker blew up an explosives-packed Humvee in the southern province of Kandahar

At least a dozen Afghan security forces were killed when a suicide attacker driving an explosives-packed Humvee blew himself up in the southern province of Kandahar, police said Thursday. The Taliban claimed the deadly assault on the government and police headquarters in Maroof district that also wounded several others. "Twelve security forces were killed and four others were wounded," Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durrani told AFP. Twelve security forces were killed and four others were wounded,' Kandahar police spokesman Zia Durrani said × Durrani said the Taliban attackers had been "defeated". A border police commander in Maroof, which borders Pakistan, gave a slightly higher toll, telling AFP that 14 security personnel had been killed and eight wounded in the attack that happened late Wednesday. "The intensity of the blast caused damage to the building and led to casualties," he said. "The clean-up operation is under way in the area." The attack is the latest deadly assault by the Taliban, which has been on the offensive since US-led NATO combat troops withdrew in 2014 and now controls swathes of territory across the country. During a high-profile visit by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, insurgents launched a volley of rockets near the city's international airport. A US airstrike launched in support of Afghan security forces who had confronted the attackers caused "several casualties" when a missile malfunctioned. One person was killed and 11 others wounded in the assault that lasted several hours, according to the interior ministry.

Afghanistan: At least 12 security forces personnel killed in suicide attack

At least 15 Taliban insurgents were killed in an operation launched by Afghan security forces on Sunday, reported Afghanistan daily Tolo news.&nbsp;

Also, 12 insurgents were left wounded in the operation, claimed the local officials.&nbsp;

The operation was launched in Barak-e-Barak district of central Logar province after insurgents attacked the security checkposts in the district, said Esmatullah Alizai, the provincial police chief.&nbsp;

No further details were given about the operation.&nbsp;

The Taliban has not yet commented on the incident, Tolo news reported.&nbsp;

Earlier, at least 43 Taliban insurgents, including a top commander, got killed in air strikes conducted by the United States in the Afghan province of Faryab bordering Uzbekistan.

The operation was in Barak-e-Barak district of central Logar province and left another 12 insurgents wounded

At least 15 Taliban insurgents were killed in an operation launched by Afghan security forces on Sunday, reported Afghanistan daily Tolo news. Also, 12 insurgents were left wounded in the operation, claimed the local officials. The operation was launched in Barak-e-Barak district of central Logar province after insurgents attacked the security checkposts in the district, said Esmatullah Alizai, the provincial police chief. No further details were given about the operation. The Taliban has not yet commented on the incident, Tolo news reported. Earlier, at least 43 Taliban insurgents, including a top commander, got killed in air strikes conducted by the United States in the Afghan province of Faryab bordering Uzbekistan.

15 Taliban fighters killed in Afghan operation

The United States must value Pakistan&#39;s role in Afghanistan and respect its security concerns, China&#39;s top diplomat Yang Jiechi told US secretary of state Rex Tillerson in a phone call, according to Chinese state media.

China&#39;s Foreign Ministry defended its ally Pakistan earlier this week after President Donald Trump said the United States could no longer be silent about militants using safe havens on Pakistani soil.

On Monday, Trump committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan, signalling he would send more troops to America&#39;s longest war and vowing &quot;a fight to win&quot;.

He insisted that others - the Afghan government, Pakistan, India and NATO allies - step up their own commitment to resolving the 16-year conflict, but he saved his sharpest words for Pakistan.

Yang, who outranks China&#39;s foreign minister, told Tillerson on Wednesday that China was willing to coordinate with the United States on Afghanistan and make joint efforts to realise peace and stability there and in the region, according to a Chinese statement issued late that night.

&quot;We must value Pakistan&#39;s important role on the Afghanistan issue, and respect Pakistan&#39;s sovereignty and reasonable security concerns,&quot; Yang told Tillerson.

Pakistan has been battling home-grown Islamists for years. It sees Afghanistan as a vital strategic interest and a bulwark against old rival, India. Islamabad denies harbouring militants, who move across the porous border with Afghanistan.&nbsp;

China and Pakistan consider each other &quot;all-weather friends&quot; and have close diplomatic, economic and security ties.

Beijing has its own security concerns in the region, in particular any links between militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Islamist groups China blames for violence in its far western region of Xinjiang.

Foreign minister Wang Yi met Pakistani foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua in Beijing on Tuesday, according to a statement on Thursday.

He praised Pakistan&#39;s efforts to combat extremism and to secure the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a development initiative central to President Xi Jinping&#39;s global Belt and Road development plan.

&quot;Given the current complicated and changing international and regional situation, the strategic significance of China-Pakistan relations is even more prominent,&quot; Wang said.

&nbsp;

China's top diplomat told US?secretary of state Rex Tillerson that the country is willing to coordinate with the US on Afghanistan and make joint efforts to realise peace and stability there and in the region

The United States must value Pakistan's role in Afghanistan and respect its security concerns, China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi told US secretary of state Rex Tillerson in a phone call, according to Chinese state media. China's Foreign Ministry defended its ally Pakistan earlier this week after President Donald Trump said the United States could no longer be silent about militants using safe havens on Pakistani soil. On Monday, Trump committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in Afghanistan, signalling he would send more troops to America's longest war and vowing "a fight to win". He insisted that others - the Afghan government, Pakistan, India and NATO allies - step up their own commitment to resolving the 16-year conflict, but he saved his sharpest words for Pakistan. Yang, who outranks China's foreign minister, told Tillerson on Wednesday that China was willing to coordinate with the United States on Afghanistan and make joint efforts to realise peace and stability there and in the region, according to a Chinese statement issued late that night. "We must value Pakistan's important role on the Afghanistan issue, and respect Pakistan's sovereignty and reasonable security concerns," Yang told Tillerson. Pakistan has been battling home-grown Islamists for years. It sees Afghanistan as a vital strategic interest and a bulwark against old rival, India. Islamabad denies harbouring militants, who move across the porous border with Afghanistan. China and Pakistan consider each other "all-weather friends" and have close diplomatic, economic and security ties. Beijing has its own security concerns in the region, in particular any links between militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Islamist groups China blames for violence in its far western region of Xinjiang. Foreign minister Wang Yi met Pakistani foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua in Beijing on Tuesday, according to a statement on Thursday. He praised Pakistan's efforts to combat extremism and to secure the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a development initiative central to President Xi Jinping's global Belt and Road development plan. "Given the current complicated and changing international and regional situation, the strategic significance of China-Pakistan relations is even more prominent," Wang said.

China asks US to respect Pakistan's security concerns

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has refused to rule out the use of military action, involving air strikes, on terror groups in Pakistan and cutting off its status as a privileged military ally if Islamabad doesn&#39;t crack down on the Taliban and other extremist groups.

&quot;We are going to attack terrorists wherever they live, and we have put people on notice that if you are harboring or providing safe haven to terrorists, be warned, be forewarned,&quot; Washington Examiner quoted Tillerson as saying.

&quot;All those things... are on the table for discussion, if, in fact, they are unwilling to change their posture or change their approach to how they&#39;re dealing with the numerous terrorist organisations that find safe haven in Pakistan,&quot; he added.

&quot;Pakistan must adopt a different approach, and we are ready to work with them to help them protect themselves against these terrorist organisations. We are going to be conditioning our support for Pakistan and our relationship with them on them delivering results in this area.&quot;

&quot;We have some leverage in terms of aid, their status as a non-NATO alliance partner -- all of that can be put on the table,&quot; he further said.

Reinforcing US President Donald Trump&#39;s warning issued to Pakistan over its alleged support to extremist groups in the region, the US Secretary of State said, &quot;There&#39;s been an erosion in trust because we have witnessed terrorist organisations being given safe haven inside of Pakistan to plan and carry out attacks against US servicemen, US officials, disrupting peace efforts inside of Afghanistan.&quot;

Meanwhile, US&nbsp;National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Michael Anton has warned that President Donald Trump is planning to impose sanctions on terrorists including the Haqqani network having links to the&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;Governemnt and has outrightly dismissed its allegations against India&#39;s encirclement through Afghanistan.

While announcing US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia, President Trump has vowed to win the war in Afghanistan by committing more US troops as he called on Nato allies such as Britain to increase troop numbers &quot;in line with our own&quot;.

&quot;We will ask our Nato allies and global partners to support our new strategy with additional troop and funding increases in line without own - we are confident they will,&quot; Trump said.

'There's been an erosion in trust because we have witnessed terrorist organisations being given safe haven inside of Pakistan to plan and carry out attacks against US servicemen, US officials, disrupting peace efforts inside of Afghanistan', Rex Tillerson said

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has refused to rule out the use of military action, involving air strikes, on terror groups in Pakistan and cutting off its status as a privileged military ally if Islamabad doesn't crack down on the Taliban and other extremist groups. "We are going to attack terrorists wherever they live, and we have put people on notice that if you are harboring or providing safe haven to terrorists, be warned, be forewarned," Washington Examiner quoted Tillerson as saying. "All those things... are on the table for discussion, if, in fact, they are unwilling to change their posture or change their approach to how they're dealing with the numerous terrorist organisations that find safe haven in Pakistan," he added. "Pakistan must adopt a different approach, and we are ready to work with them to help them protect themselves against these terrorist organisations. We are going to be conditioning our support for Pakistan and our relationship with them on them delivering results in this area." "We have some leverage in terms of aid, their status as a non-NATO alliance partner -- all of that can be put on the table," he further said. Reinforcing US President Donald Trump's warning issued to Pakistan over its alleged support to extremist groups in the region, the US Secretary of State said, "There's been an erosion in trust because we have witnessed terrorist organisations being given safe haven inside of Pakistan to plan and carry out attacks against US servicemen, US officials, disrupting peace efforts inside of Afghanistan." Meanwhile, US National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Michael Anton has warned that President Donald Trump is planning to impose sanctions on terrorists including the Haqqani network having links to the Pakistan Governemnt and has outrightly dismissed its allegations against India's encirclement through Afghanistan. While announcing US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia, President Trump has vowed to win the war in Afghanistan by committing more US troops as he called on Nato allies such as Britain to increase troop numbers "in line with our own". "We will ask our Nato allies and global partners to support our new strategy with additional troop and funding increases in line without own - we are confident they will," Trump said.

Air strikes on terror groups in Pakistan on table: US secretary of state

Rolling back territorial gains by the Taliban and strengthening the Afghanistan army&#39;s ability to fight will be two key objectives of President Donald Trump&#39;s new strategy for the country, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

Trump, in a televised speech on Monday, promised a stepped-up military campaign against Taliban insurgents who have gained ground against the US-backed Afghan government.

In outlining his strategy to give the US&nbsp;military more authority to make battlefield decisions, Trump did not provide a timetable for determining whether the mission is a success or how commanders would be able to judge progress.

The senior administration official said, however, that one general measure of progress was assessing how much and what territory is controlled by the Afghan government or by the Taliban and other extremist groups such as Islamic State&#39;s Afghan affiliate.

&quot;It&#39;s also the estimated number of fighters, the presence of al Qaeda and ISIS, how strong are they, how many fighters do they have, how are their training camps, what are their finance networks like,&quot; the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Also key will be the effectiveness of the Afghan army and whether US-led armed forces can help it seize control of some territory held by the Taliban, the official added.

Trump, who was reluctant to approve a deeper engagement in Afghanistan after 16 years of war, wanted to keep a close eye on whether progress is being made, the official said.

&quot;I think we&rsquo;re going to be taking the temperature continuously,&quot; the official said. &quot;I don&rsquo;t think we expect to see any real gains materialize for at least six months. But from that point on, it&rsquo;s going to be something that we essentially never stop evaluating.&quot;

US.-backed Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban&#39;s hard-line Islamist government in late 2001 because it sheltered al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington that year.

US&nbsp;forces have been bogged down since in a war that has vexed three American presidents. About 2,400 US&nbsp;troops have died there in America&#39;s longest military conflict.

&#39;Progressive process&#39;

Three US&nbsp;officials said on Tuesday the administration had yet to settle on specific metrics to measure progress in Afghanistan and assess the contributions of the Afghan government, Pakistan, India and America&#39;s NATO allies.

One of the officials said there was no point &quot;in setting specific targets, much less making them public because that would risk making our partners think that once they had met those marks, they didn&#39;t have to do more.&quot;

&quot;What we&#39;re after is a progressive process,&quot; the official said, &quot;so, for example, the Afghan security forces keep improving their capabilities until they don&#39;t need us anymore, the government in Kabul keeps improving its record on eliminating corruption and improving local, regional and national governance.&quot;

But Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, struck a critical tone on Tuesday.

&quot;While a &#39;conditions based&#39; approach is appealing to military leaders because it gives the Taliban less certainty about how long it will take to wait us out, it also diminishes pressure on the Afghan government to reform itself and give the Afghan people something worth fighting for, since it indicates a willingness to bail them out indefinitely,&quot; Schiff said in a statement.

The second key objective will be strengthening the Afghanistan army's ability to fight

Rolling back territorial gains by the Taliban and strengthening the Afghanistan army's ability to fight will be two key objectives of President Donald Trump's new strategy for the country, a senior administration official said on Tuesday. Trump, in a televised speech on Monday, promised a stepped-up military campaign against Taliban insurgents who have gained ground against the US-backed Afghan government. In outlining his strategy to give the US military more authority to make battlefield decisions, Trump did not provide a timetable for determining whether the mission is a success or how commanders would be able to judge progress. The senior administration official said, however, that one general measure of progress was assessing how much and what territory is controlled by the Afghan government or by the Taliban and other extremist groups such as Islamic State's Afghan affiliate. "It's also the estimated number of fighters, the presence of al Qaeda and ISIS, how strong are they, how many fighters do they have, how are their training camps, what are their finance networks like," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Also key will be the effectiveness of the Afghan army and whether US-led armed forces can help it seize control of some territory held by the Taliban, the official added. Trump, who was reluctant to approve a deeper engagement in Afghanistan after 16 years of war, wanted to keep a close eye on whether progress is being made, the official said. "I think we’re going to be taking the temperature continuously," the official said. "I don’t think we expect to see any real gains materialize for at least six months. But from that point on, it’s going to be something that we essentially never stop evaluating." US.-backed Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban's hard-line Islamist government in late 2001 because it sheltered al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington that year. US forces have been bogged down since in a war that has vexed three American presidents. About 2,400 US troops have died there in America's longest military conflict. 'Progressive process' Three US officials said on Tuesday the administration had yet to settle on specific metrics to measure progress in Afghanistan and assess the contributions of the Afghan government, Pakistan, India and America's NATO allies. One of the officials said there was no point "in setting specific targets, much less making them public because that would risk making our partners think that once they had met those marks, they didn't have to do more." "What we're after is a progressive process," the official said, "so, for example, the Afghan security forces keep improving their capabilities until they don't need us anymore, the government in Kabul keeps improving its record on eliminating corruption and improving local, regional and national governance." But Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, struck a critical tone on Tuesday. "While a 'conditions based' approach is appealing to military leaders because it gives the Taliban less certainty about how long it will take to wait us out, it also diminishes pressure on the Afghan government to reform itself and give the Afghan people something worth fighting for, since it indicates a willingness to bail them out indefinitely," Schiff said in a statement.

Taking back territory held by Taliban key aim of Trump's new Afghan strategy: Official

&nbsp;United States President Donald Trump wants to cut off all military aid to Pakistan as he thinks that the Washington is being ripped off by Islamabad.

As per Foreign Policy report, US&nbsp;is considering to increase troop levels up to 15, 000 in Afghanistan as part of the new strategy, which also would change the US&nbsp;relationship with Pakistan significantly.

The report quoted a White House official as saying that &quot;the President thinks we&#39;re being ripped off by Pakistan. The president wants to cut off all military aid to Pakistan. That&#39;s part of the strategy&quot;.

The report further said the Pentagon has already frozen support to Islamabad under the coalition support fund, which provides payments to Pakistan for supporting counterterrorism operations.

This move is being considered due to Pakistan&#39;s constant support to insurgent group Taliban. However, US&nbsp;wants to ensure the survival of the Afghan government by ending the war in the country by negotiating with the Taliban.

This move is triggered by Pakistan&#39;s insufficient actions against the Haqqani network, an insurgent group based in Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said.

Currently, around 8400 US.soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan.

Terming Afghanistan issue as &#39;a mess&#39; that he took over from the previous administration; Trump had said that his administration is getting close to a decision on an updated strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis had also hinted that President Trump is &quot;very close&quot; to making a decision on the strategy.

&quot;We&#39;re sharpening each one of the options so you can see the pluses and minuses of each one so that there&#39;s no longer any new data you&#39;re going to get. Now [he can] just make the decision,&quot; Mattis said.

Earlier, reports had emerged that the US&nbsp;administration may consider outsourcing the war management in Afghanistan to a private firm. (ANI)

This move is reported;y being considered due to Pakistan's constant support to insurgent group Taliban

United States President Donald Trump wants to cut off all military aid to Pakistan as he thinks that the Washington is being ripped off by Islamabad. As per Foreign Policy report, US is considering to increase troop levels up to 15, 000 in Afghanistan as part of the new strategy, which also would change the US relationship with Pakistan significantly. The report quoted a White House official as saying that "the President thinks we're being ripped off by Pakistan. The president wants to cut off all military aid to Pakistan. That's part of the strategy". The report further said the Pentagon has already frozen support to Islamabad under the coalition support fund, which provides payments to Pakistan for supporting counterterrorism operations. This move is being considered due to Pakistan's constant support to insurgent group Taliban. However, US wants to ensure the survival of the Afghan government by ending the war in the country by negotiating with the Taliban. This move is triggered by Pakistan's insufficient actions against the Haqqani network, an insurgent group based in Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said. Currently, around 8400 US.soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan. Terming Afghanistan issue as 'a mess' that he took over from the previous administration; Trump had said that his administration is getting close to a decision on an updated strategy for the war in Afghanistan. US Defense Secretary James Mattis had also hinted that President Trump is "very close" to making a decision on the strategy. "We're sharpening each one of the options so you can see the pluses and minuses of each one so that there's no longer any new data you're going to get. Now [he can] just make the decision," Mattis said. Earlier, reports had emerged that the US administration may consider outsourcing the war management in Afghanistan to a private firm. (ANI)

Trump wants to 'cut all military aid to Pakistan', thinks Washington is being 'ripped off' by Islamabad: Report

Afghan police have discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of at least 36 victims of a recent militant attack on a village, officials said on Wednesday.

One grave in the northern province of Sar-e Pul held 28 bodies and another contained eight, said provincial government spokesman Zabihullah Amani.

&quot;Most of the victims were beheaded,&quot; he said, noting that all were men, except for three boys between the ages of eight and 15.

A third mass grave had been located but it was in an area under Taliban control, and security forces were searching for possible graves, Amani added.

On Wednesday, residents held funerals for several victims of the raid.

At least 62 people have been confirmed dead in the attack on Mirza Olang village last week, with the number expected to rise, according to the Sar-e Pul governor&#39;s office.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said a preliminary investigation suggested that militants from the Taliban and Islamic State, who are normally bitter rivals, acted together.

That has been denied by the Taliban, who said they had carried out the attack alone and did not kill any civilians.

Islamic State issued a statement on Monday claiming it had led the attack and killed about 54 Shi&#39;ite Muslims, a minority group in Afghanistan that has often come under attack from Islamic State.

Villagers who escaped from Mirza Olang told reporters they saw fighters carrying both the white banner of the Taliban and the black banner of Islamic State.

In a region where bands of fighters often switch between different militant groups, it can be difficult to establish allegiances with any certainty.

The mass grave contains the bodies of at least 36 victims of a recent militant attack on a village

Afghan police have discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of at least 36 victims of a recent militant attack on a village, officials said on Wednesday. One grave in the northern province of Sar-e Pul held 28 bodies and another contained eight, said provincial government spokesman Zabihullah Amani. "Most of the victims were beheaded," he said, noting that all were men, except for three boys between the ages of eight and 15. A third mass grave had been located but it was in an area under Taliban control, and security forces were searching for possible graves, Amani added. On Wednesday, residents held funerals for several victims of the raid. At least 62 people have been confirmed dead in the attack on Mirza Olang village last week, with the number expected to rise, according to the Sar-e Pul governor's office. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said a preliminary investigation suggested that militants from the Taliban and Islamic State, who are normally bitter rivals, acted together. That has been denied by the Taliban, who said they had carried out the attack alone and did not kill any civilians. Islamic State issued a statement on Monday claiming it had led the attack and killed about 54 Shi'ite Muslims, a minority group in Afghanistan that has often come under attack from Islamic State. Villagers who escaped from Mirza Olang told reporters they saw fighters carrying both the white banner of the Taliban and the black banner of Islamic State. In a region where bands of fighters often switch between different militant groups, it can be difficult to establish allegiances with any certainty.

Afghanistan police discover mass graves of recent militant attack

The Taliban told US President Donald Trump in an open letter on Tuesday that the military situation in Afghanistan was &quot;far worse than you realise&quot;, and sending in more troops would be self-destructive.

A senior Taliban official told Reuters the rare decision to address Trump directly was timed to coincide with the president&#39;s deliberations on the future of US policy in Afghanistan.

&quot;Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might,&quot; the Taliban said in the lengthy English-language letter.

It criticised the Afghan government as &quot;stooges&quot;, &quot;lying, corrupt leaders&quot; and &quot;repulsive sellouts&quot; who were providing Washington with &quot;rosy pictures&quot; of the military position.

The Taliban, seeking to restore Islamic rule, has waged an increasingly violent insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government since losing power in a US led invasion after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Those attacks were planned by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a base in Afghanistan.

&quot;The war situation in Afghanistan is far worse than you realise!&quot; the letter said, arguing that the only thing preventing the Taliban from seizing major cities was a fear of causing civilian casualties.

The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has requested several thousand additional troops to act as advisers to the struggling Afghan security forces. Influential voices including Republican Senator John McCain have also urged an &quot;enduring&quot; US military presence in Afghanistan.

But such plans have faced scepticism in the White House, where Trump and several top aides have criticised years of American military intervention and foreign aid.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration was &quot;very, very close&quot; to a decision on Afghanistan, adding that all options were on the table. However, US officials believe it could take weeks for a South Asia strategy to be approved.

&quot;We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethink your new strategy in Afghanistan,&quot; the Taliban told Trump.

&quot;A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges.&quot;

Some Taliban leaders disagreed with publishing the letter as they believe the group is close to being able to end the war on its own terms, while the &quot;Americans are no longer in a position to fight this never-ending war,&quot; one Taliban official said.

The first official said the Taliban was open to &quot;discuss all issues with the United States for bringing peace to Afghanistan&quot; if American troops are withdrawn.

&quot;Everyone now understands that the main driver of war in Afghanistan is foreign occupation,&quot; the Taliban letter said.

&quot;The Afghans have no ill-intention towards the Americans or any other nation around the world but if anyone violates their sanctums then they are mighty proficient at beating and defeating the transgressors.&quot;

The Taliban warned Trump that the military situation in Afghanistan was 'far worse than you realise', and sending in more troops would be self-destructive

The Taliban told US President Donald Trump in an open letter on Tuesday that the military situation in Afghanistan was "far worse than you realise", and sending in more troops would be self-destructive. A senior Taliban official told Reuters the rare decision to address Trump directly was timed to coincide with the president's deliberations on the future of US policy in Afghanistan. "Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might," the Taliban said in the lengthy English-language letter. It criticised the Afghan government as "stooges", "lying, corrupt leaders" and "repulsive sellouts" who were providing Washington with "rosy pictures" of the military position. The Taliban, seeking to restore Islamic rule, has waged an increasingly violent insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government since losing power in a US led invasion after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Those attacks were planned by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from a base in Afghanistan. "The war situation in Afghanistan is far worse than you realise!" the letter said, arguing that the only thing preventing the Taliban from seizing major cities was a fear of causing civilian casualties. The senior US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has requested several thousand additional troops to act as advisers to the struggling Afghan security forces. Influential voices including Republican Senator John McCain have also urged an "enduring" US military presence in Afghanistan. But such plans have faced scepticism in the White House, where Trump and several top aides have criticised years of American military intervention and foreign aid. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration was "very, very close" to a decision on Afghanistan, adding that all options were on the table. However, US officials believe it could take weeks for a South Asia strategy to be approved. "We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethink your new strategy in Afghanistan," the Taliban told Trump. "A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges." Some Taliban leaders disagreed with publishing the letter as they believe the group is close to being able to end the war on its own terms, while the "Americans are no longer in a position to fight this never-ending war," one Taliban official said. The first official said the Taliban was open to "discuss all issues with the United States for bringing peace to Afghanistan" if American troops are withdrawn. "Everyone now understands that the main driver of war in Afghanistan is foreign occupation," the Taliban letter said. "The Afghans have no ill-intention towards the Americans or any other nation around the world but if anyone violates their sanctums then they are mighty proficient at beating and defeating the transgressors."

Afghan Taliban warns Trump against sending in more troops

At least 35 people were killed after a Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul today.

The suicide bomber targeted government personnel. At least three vehicles and several shops were destroyed in the blast.

&quot;When the Taliban entered the hospital they killed 35, all civilians,&quot; spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi told AFP, without specifying if they were patients or staff.

&quot;This is a cruel crime against humanity,&quot; he added.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility in a statement to the media for the suicide attack.

Afganistan has witnessed a series of attacks in the past three months with the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/car-bomb-in-kabul-kills-at-least-24-interior-ministry-18220"> Taliban targeting government building</a> and military personnel including foreign embassy personnel.

Kabul has accounted for at least 20 per cent of all civilian casualties this year, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/multiple-casualties-as-car-bomb-hits-bank-in-south-afghanistan-officials-17154">including at least 150 people killed in a massive truck bomb attack at the end of May</a>, according to United Nations figures.

Prime Minister Modi&#39;s office condemned&nbsp;the Kabul attack and expressed sympathy towards the victim&#39;s families. PM Modi in his tweet said: &quot;We stand in solidarity with people and government of Afghanistan.&quot;

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Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Kabul. My heart goes out to the victim&#39;s families: PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/889433545126453248">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We stand in solidarity with people and government of Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism: PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/889433608171028480">July 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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At least three vehicles and several shops were destroyed in the blast

At least 35 people were killed after a Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul today. The suicide bomber targeted government personnel. At least three vehicles and several shops were destroyed in the blast. "When the Taliban entered the hospital they killed 35, all civilians," spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi told AFP, without specifying if they were patients or staff. "This is a cruel crime against humanity," he added. The Taliban has claimed responsibility in a statement to the media for the suicide attack. Afganistan has witnessed a series of attacks in the past three months with the Taliban targeting government building and military personnel including foreign embassy personnel. Kabul has accounted for at least 20 per cent of all civilian casualties this year, including at least 150 people killed in a massive truck bomb attack at the end of May, according to United Nations figures. Prime Minister Modi's office condemned the Kabul attack and expressed sympathy towards the victim's families. PM Modi in his tweet said: "We stand in solidarity with people and government of Afghanistan." Strongly condemn the terrorist attack in Kabul. My heart goes out to the victim's families: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 24, 2017 × We stand in solidarity with people and government of Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 24, 2017 ×

Car bomb attack in Kabul, at least 35 killed; Taliban claims responsibility

A group of men sit&nbsp;in a small hut made of clay and mud in one of the city&#39;s many informal refugee camps. The hut is pretty crowded, someone stares curiously at what is going on and others keep sewing typical Afghan clothes. Children tiptoe to steal a glimpse of the inside and quickly disappear&nbsp;when an elder spots them. It goes without saying that the camp has no running water and no sewage system. It is hot and flies are all over the place.

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<h5>We came here because your countries bombed our land</h5>
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&ldquo;We came here because your countries bombed our land,&rdquo; says the man that the small venue elected&nbsp;spokesperson. They all come from Helmand, the famous Taliban heartland in the south of Afghanistan. &ldquo;We live here since ten years,&rdquo; he says.&nbsp;Ten years. This is what often happens when you run away from war: You know when you leave, but you do not know when and if you will ever go back.

&ldquo;Of course we dream to go back to our land, but we also need security to do so,&rdquo; he says. Afghanistan is one of those places where war has never been short. US troops, sixteen years back, invaded the country, chasing the ghost of Al-Qaeda, and that very same war is still going on and disrupting lives.

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Afghanistan is one of those places where war has never been short (Others)
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One of the things war does is impose&nbsp;its violence on you. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you were living your usual life, sowing&nbsp;seeds or grazing sheep. Violence does not ask your permission to destroy your life, it just does it. Suddenly, one day, while you are living your usual countryside life, some random armed group pops&nbsp;up and starts&nbsp;imposing its rules on you, and you accept it. You do so out of fear, out of a quick pro&nbsp;and con&nbsp;evaluation: &quot;I am a peaceful man, I want to mind my business, is refusing&nbsp;worth dying over?&quot; &nbsp;

It is easy for those who are not there&nbsp;to say&nbsp;&quot;revolt, fight back&quot;. Revolting against an armed power exercising its monopoly of violence on you, is one of those things which seems kind of easy when you are not the one doing it.

This is a war though, and it does not seek permission. You won&rsquo;t get away just abiding by someone&rsquo;s law, especially if that someone has enemies. One day&nbsp;your rulers&rsquo; enemy&nbsp;attacks. Jet fighters fly where you were used to seeing birds, and in&nbsp;seconds&nbsp;there is nothing left of your life except you. Your house, your fields, the small dusty roads of the village--all gone. There is nothing left, maybe some of your sheep, if you are lucky.&nbsp;

You look around, you visualise your small village in the countryside. Where pomegranates used to be as sweet as sugar, there are now piles of smoking rubbles. You try to make sense of the tragedy, you cry and you call to god, whatever god you believe in.&nbsp;No matter how hard you try, the reality is that war does not ask your permission to destroy your life. It just does it and it sucks.

Suddenly, you realise that along with other survivors you do not know what to do.

&quot;Maybe it is over. It was just a one-off attack,&quot;&nbsp;you speculate. You spend all the night with the elders&nbsp;discussing what to do, but there is no solution. Then, that armed group comes back at dawn and you realise all at once that what happened was not a one-off tragedy. The others, whoever they are, will bomb again in an endless cycle of destruction. It&rsquo;s done, war invaded your space, and it does not matter if you just wanted to keep looking after your sheep and your crop.

You do not get to decide.

Your conservation instinct often prevails: &ldquo;A&nbsp;wretched life is anyway better than a cruel death,&rdquo; you think. With these words in your mind, your private personal odyssey begins. You leave everything behind and you go.&nbsp;

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No hopes from the government (Others)
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Where do you go? You try to reach a city, the biggest city. &lsquo;&ldquo;The government will help us,&rdquo; you think. You have a few chances in front of you: You can try to reach a refugee camp and live in a tent. You can become a beggar on the street of a city, knocking at fancy cars&rsquo; windows for&nbsp;coins. You can also live in an informal refugee camp on the city&#39;s outskirts. You can also end up in the hands of organised crime; Criminal networks build their empires exploiting people like you. Whatever you do, the outcome is pretty much the same: Your wait begins, because you did not leave your house by&nbsp;choice.&nbsp;

It does not matter how good you are at adapting, the melancholy of your previous life will not abandon you. The desire to go back, one day, where the pomegranates were as sweet as sugar,&nbsp;will always accompany you.

&ldquo;Some of us sell pomegranates to make a living here, but these are small, not good,&rdquo; says the village council&rsquo;s spokesperson.

This is not one peson&#39;s particular&nbsp;story,&nbsp;but the story of millions of people at the same time. According to the most recent UN survey, 65.5 million people are currently displaced worldwide. It is a record in human history, but nothing we should be proud of; 25.5 million of them are refugees, 40.3 million are internally displaced people and 2.8 million are asylum seekers.&nbsp;

In Afghanistan, in the first five and a half months of 2017, as many as 136,000 people have been displaced and 2,200 civilians got killed or injured during the ongoing conflict. Year by year, it is not getting any better. &ldquo;In 2010 in this hospital we were able to do also civilian traumas below fourteen. Now it is not an option anymore,&rdquo; says Giorgia Novello, medical coordinator for the Emergency hospital in Kabul. &ldquo;In all our projects, the number of war wounded has increased.&rdquo;

The men in the hut kept discussing politics and society&rsquo;s problem. They sit in a circle, exactly as they would have done in their villages if only the war would not have forced them to leave.

65.5 million people are currently displaced from their home worldwide, a record in human history

A group of men sit in a small hut made of clay and mud in one of the city's many informal refugee camps. The hut is pretty crowded, someone stares curiously at what is going on and others keep sewing typical Afghan clothes. Children tiptoe to steal a glimpse of the inside and quickly disappear when an elder spots them. It goes without saying that the camp has no running water and no sewage system. It is hot and flies are all over the place. We came here because your countries bombed our land × “We came here because your countries bombed our land,” says the man that the small venue elected spokesperson. They all come from Helmand, the famous Taliban heartland in the south of Afghanistan. “We live here since ten years,” he says. Ten years. This is what often happens when you run away from war: You know when you leave, but you do not know when and if you will ever go back. “Of course we dream to go back to our land, but we also need security to do so,” he says. Afghanistan is one of those places where war has never been short. US troops, sixteen years back, invaded the country, chasing the ghost of Al-Qaeda, and that very same war is still going on and disrupting lives. Afghanistan is one of those places where war has never been short (Others) × One of the things war does is impose its violence on you. It doesn’t matter if you were living your usual life, sowing seeds or grazing sheep. Violence does not ask your permission to destroy your life, it just does it. Suddenly, one day, while you are living your usual countryside life, some random armed group pops up and starts imposing its rules on you, and you accept it. You do so out of fear, out of a quick pro and con evaluation: "I am a peaceful man, I want to mind my business, is refusing worth dying over?" It is easy for those who are not there to say "revolt, fight back". Revolting against an armed power exercising its monopoly of violence on you, is one of those things which seems kind of easy when you are not the one doing it. This is a war though, and it does not seek permission. You won’t get away just abiding by someone’s law, especially if that someone has enemies. One day your rulers’ enemy attacks. Jet fighters fly where you were used to seeing birds, and in seconds there is nothing left of your life except you. Your house, your fields, the small dusty roads of the village--all gone. There is nothing left, maybe some of your sheep, if you are lucky. You look around, you visualise your small village in the countryside. Where pomegranates used to be as sweet as sugar, there are now piles of smoking rubbles. You try to make sense of the tragedy, you cry and you call to god, whatever god you believe in. No matter how hard you try, the reality is that war does not ask your permission to destroy your life. It just does it and it sucks. Suddenly, you realise that along with other survivors you do not know what to do. "Maybe it is over. It was just a one-off attack," you speculate. You spend all the night with the elders discussing what to do, but there is no solution. Then, that armed group comes back at dawn and you realise all at once that what happened was not a one-off tragedy. The others, whoever they are, will bomb again in an endless cycle of destruction. It’s done, war invaded your space, and it does not matter if you just wanted to keep looking after your sheep and your crop. You do not get to decide. Your conservation instinct often prevails: “A wretched life is anyway better than a cruel death,” you think. With these words in your mind, your private personal odyssey begins. You leave everything behind and you go. No hopes from the government (Others) × Where do you go? You try to reach a city, the biggest city. ‘“The government will help us,” you think. You have a few chances in front of you: You can try to reach a refugee camp and live in a tent. You can become a beggar on the street of a city, knocking at fancy cars’ windows for coins. You can also live in an informal refugee camp on the city's outskirts. You can also end up in the hands of organised crime; Criminal networks build their empires exploiting people like you. Whatever you do, the outcome is pretty much the same: Your wait begins, because you did not leave your house by choice. It does not matter how good you are at adapting, the melancholy of your previous life will not abandon you. The desire to go back, one day, where the pomegranates were as sweet as sugar, will always accompany you. “Some of us sell pomegranates to make a living here, but these are small, not good,” says the village council’s spokesperson. This is not one peson's particular story, but the story of millions of people at the same time. According to the most recent UN survey, 65.5 million people are currently displaced worldwide. It is a record in human history, but nothing we should be proud of; 25.5 million of them are refugees, 40.3 million are internally displaced people and 2.8 million are asylum seekers. In Afghanistan, in the first five and a half months of 2017, as many as 136,000 people have been displaced and 2,200 civilians got killed or injured during the ongoing conflict. Year by year, it is not getting any better. “In 2010 in this hospital we were able to do also civilian traumas below fourteen. Now it is not an option anymore,” says Giorgia Novello, medical coordinator for the Emergency hospital in Kabul. “In all our projects, the number of war wounded has increased.” The men in the hut kept discussing politics and society’s problem. They sit in a circle, exactly as they would have done in their villages if only the war would not have forced them to leave.

All refugees desire to go back home, one day

Afrooz* lives in a compact 1-BHK (bedroom, kitchen, hall) apartment in one of south Delhi&#39;s sprawling urban villages, Khirkee Extension. She shares the space with nine other family&nbsp;members. Something permeates the air in the living room &mdash; rotting yogurt and fermented rice. She offers&nbsp;me naan (Afghani flatbread) and Qorma &mdash; especially made for me. Ten others sit for the meal with me, but we eat in silence. A palpable sadness floats around us.

In 1994, when Afrooz was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, her middle class family could not afford luxuries, but they had a good life. Her family could afford a good education for the children, owned a decent house, two cars and had a regular income.

What could go wrong? Probably nothing. But everything did.

&quot;War and unrest dawned upon our lives. I could hear continuous gunfire echoes from outside the house. My classmate was shot in a market during the daytime. Another friend was kidnapped and never seen again. Terror was in the air but I only felt numb.&nbsp;I had no clue why it was happening. I had started getting accustomed to the&nbsp;smell of gunpowder and the sight of blood.&nbsp;One day, dacoits entered our house. In my heart, I knew this was the end of us. My mother shushed us. The women hid in cupboards and under the beds. It turned out they weren&rsquo;t dacoits, but they came with a warning. &#39;Leave before they come for you&#39; they said. I knew it was the Taliban. The question in my mind was &mdash; why us? We have never hurt anyone.&quot;

Afrooz&#39;s faith it turned out disqualified her from claiming the land of her birth and that of her forefathers her homeland. Her family are followers of the Bahai religion &mdash; considered unfit for the Islamic state.

&quot;I loved my country, my hometown, my house, my room. I miss everything I left behind. But we were lucky enough to get a new start in India unlike the thousands still stuck in the terrors of the war. There was hope for a better, brighter future. We had heard stories about the greatness of India &mdash; a&nbsp;generous land that embraces many cultures.&quot;

Afrooz and 10 members of her family made their way into India in batches, entering the country on medical, and tourist visas. India allows people to migrate without prior permissions if their lives are in danger.

From 15,917 Afghan refugees residing in India in 1998 to the 10,340 currently in India, Afghans fleeing war and persecution have found themselves safe and welcome here.

&quot;India abides by Article 31 of the Refugee Convention&nbsp;which permits the treatment of refugees. It exempts them from penalties for illegal entry&nbsp;when they come directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened.&nbsp;However, there is no law concerning refugees in the country. Their status is governed by guidelines stated under Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939.&nbsp;Although India is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol, it has followed a very liberal refugee policy which adheres to the underlying principles of international refugee law,&quot; lawyer Yateesh Begoore Shivaswamy, told WION.

&nbsp;

Stay in India: In safety, but without jobs&nbsp;

Afrooz has been in India for five years now. &quot;People are extremely warm and helpful. However, our problems are countless. Indian government does not have laws for refugees. We are at the mercy of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). A refugee card issued by the organisation is our only identity proof. False promises (by UNHCR) of education, employment, income, health-care facilities were made to be broken. We are not eligible to even buy a sim card, forget about a bank account. My father is the only bread-earner of the family &mdash; he works in a bakery for Rupees 8000 a month. He has to support a nine-member family. The demonetisation period was tortuous. We are financially dependent on my uncle who sends money from Germany to supplement our family income. What if he decides to stop some day? What will we do then?&quot;

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Refugee Card issues by UNHCR is valid for two years. It is not useful to get a SIM card or bank account (WION)
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As refugees, they are not eligible for formal education or employment unless they have a long-term visa.

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&quot;Promises were made but never fulfilled. Some Afghanis who have been in India for two years still don&rsquo;t have refugee cards. They promise us unskilled jobs. UNHCR pays beauty parlours to train us, but we never get jobs.&quot;

As time passed things kept getting worse instead of improving.

&quot;My sister was called in for an interview in Dilshad Garden (a neighbourhood in east Delhi) set up by the UNHCR. When she reached the venue, a strange man with possibly bad intentions waited for her in a dark room with strange lighting and music. She had to run. Saying that we live a poor, below dignity life is&nbsp;an understatement. I am a citizen... of this planet. I hate being called a refugee. I hate not having a home,&quot; she said, her eyes welling up.

India is on the verge of&nbsp;granting citizenship to Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan who have sought refuge from religious persecution.&nbsp;

&quot;They are granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus. We as Muslims do not feel very welcomed. The Indian government doesn&#39;t take care of us.&quot; said Aman Zaidi, 30, who fled Afghanistan in hope of a better future for his sons. He has taught himself the languages spoken locally (Hindi and English) and now works as an interpreter for Afghan medical tourists at hospitals.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Chaos, hope, fresh starts

In spite of the ongoing social and political mayhem, the community has been able to make space for itself. The refugees that landed in India earlier watch out for the new arrivals. Afrooz&#39;s father got a house and job through another Sikh refugee from Afghanistan.

In a back alley of Lajpat Nagar, a sprawling market area in south Delhi, is Afghan Market or Kabul street. Shop boards in Dari transcript, modest looking restaurants with fancy interiors, separate seating areas for men and women, playlists of Hindi, English and Pashto songs, general stores with supplies from United Arab Emirates (UAE), scent of Kabuli pulao - the place is a safe haven for Afghan refugees.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Shops in Lajpat Nagar&#39;s Afghan market have signboards in English and Dari language (WION)
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&nbsp;

Naseem manages a street-vend of Afghani snacks. He offered me to try Bolani Gandana (a stuffed, deep fried bread). A tentative attempt to initiate a conversation revealed that Naseem was a rather garrulous man who had landed in India just a month ago. &quot;I have a friend who has taken refuge here. He runs a restaurant&nbsp;and is helping me financially. The situation in Afghanistan is horrible. Here&nbsp;I am able to earn twice the amount I used to earlier working as a cook. I plan to bring my entire family over.&quot;&nbsp; 
&quot;I love India. I have been a fan of Bollywood movies,&quot; he explained his ease in Hindi by telling this reporter about his love for Hindi films and actor Ajay Devgan.&nbsp;

Naseem then insisted that I visit his friend&#39;s restaurant and have lunch there &mdash; typical of the largesse of his people.

&nbsp;

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Naseem makes a decent living through a street-stall of Afghani snacks. He wants to bring his family to India soon (WION)
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&nbsp;

Twenty-year-old Ahmed arrived in India recently. His employer warned him to be careful with strangers. The shy young&nbsp;man took a while to open up.&nbsp;&quot;I don&#39;t have a refugee card,&quot; he said&nbsp;while cooking bread in the clay oven of a small eatery.

He hopes to start a new life here. &quot;I come from Mazar-e-Sharif. A guy helped me escape. My family is still there. We all couldn&#39;t afford to come, so they sent me. I would want to see them again, but I don&#39;t want to go back to Afghanistan. It is terrifying to even think about it. I hope I can do enough to call them here,&quot; he smiled.&nbsp;

Young or old, there is one common strain in all conversations &mdash; the luxury of a sound night&#39;s sleep without the fear of mortars and bombs tearing into homes.

&quot;My hometown was beautiful.&nbsp;I have grown up admiring the natural &nbsp;beauty around me. But things got out of control there. You can die any moment. Delhi&nbsp;is very crowded and they blare horns too loudly. But at least I can sleep without worrying at night. In other countries, they start firing on refugee boats. India has given us a home to live. We might not be citizens, but this is now our home,&quot;&nbsp;60-year old Hameed told WION.

Others headed back to India because it was their natural home. When the Sikh community found itself under attack by the Taliban, many of them made a long and arduous journey to the land of their forefather.&nbsp;Harmeet Chhabra, now a&nbsp;naturalised Indian citizen, came to India 24 years ago. &quot;Our shop in Kabul was looted. We travelled on foot for 10 days in a group of 50. Our shop was raided and several friends and their families were killed. We did not know anyone in India. Initially, we took refuge in the Golden Temple in &nbsp;Amritsar. It has been a long journey.&quot; Today, Chhabra runs a chemist store in Delhi.

Today the community finds shelter for some and homes for others in Delhi neighbourhooda like Lajpat Nagar, Bhogal,&nbsp;Saket, Tilak Nagar and Wazirabad. Wazirabad is where most Hindu and&nbsp;Sikh Afghans have settled down, driven from their homeland in 1991 by the Afghan Mujahideen during the rule of Mohammad Najibullah which were the early days of the Taliban.

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From a place away from home, the Afghan refugees use their culinary skills to build new lives for themselves (WION)
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What the law says

In terms of international obligations, as a consequence of its accession to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Government of India has some obligations towards the economic status of refugees. The Covenant guarantees everyone&rsquo;s &ndash; including refugees&rsquo; &ndash; right to work. However, it may be noted that the Covenant provides a caveat wherein &ldquo;developing countries, with due regard to human rights and their national economy, may determine to what extent they would guarantee the economic rights&quot;.

&quot;Refugees who fled their home country in fear of genuine threats are eligible for Long Term Visa (LTV). A refugee holding a long term visa is permitted to take up employment in the private sector or undertake studies in any academic institution.&quot; Shivaswamy added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Equal status for all refugees?

The feasibility of legislation, however, remains a political question and whether Parliament would see fit to enact such legislation is hard to surmise. The &lsquo;Asylum Bill 2015&rsquo; introduced in the Lok Sabha by MP Shashi Tharoor proposes fair treatment and just manner consistent with the guarantees of equality, fairness and due process of law for all refugees.

The procedure of determining who qualifies as a refugee is unsure. While the government decides refugee status for fugitives from regions like Sri Lanka and Tibet, refugees from other regions need to approach UNHCR office. This has given rise to an inconsistent approach towards different nationalities, and an asylum policy that, on the whole, lacks uniformity.

The community also claims discrimination and partiality when it comes to issuing refugee cards among refugees of different nationalities.

&quot;All refugees are not treated equally by the UNHCR. It is way easier for other communities to get basic documentation,&quot; Afrooz&#39;s brother, Faraz said.

Clearly, there are loopholes in the system to implement policies in the&nbsp;interest of refugees.

*Some names have been changed to protect identity

(WION)

India provides a safe haven to Afghans escaping war in their country, but this New Year they dream of work, study opportunity

Afrooz* lives in a compact 1-BHK (bedroom, kitchen, hall) apartment in one of south Delhi's sprawling urban villages, Khirkee Extension. She shares the space with nine other family members. Something permeates the air in the living room — rotting yogurt and fermented rice. She offers me naan (Afghani flatbread) and Qorma — especially made for me. Ten others sit for the meal with me, but we eat in silence. A palpable sadness floats around us. In 1994, when Afrooz was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, her middle class family could not afford luxuries, but they had a good life. Her family could afford a good education for the children, owned a decent house, two cars and had a regular income. What could go wrong? Probably nothing. But everything did. "War and unrest dawned upon our lives. I could hear continuous gunfire echoes from outside the house. My classmate was shot in a market during the daytime. Another friend was kidnapped and never seen again. Terror was in the air but I only felt numb. I had no clue why it was happening. I had started getting accustomed to the smell of gunpowder and the sight of blood. One day, dacoits entered our house. In my heart, I knew this was the end of us. My mother shushed us. The women hid in cupboards and under the beds. It turned out they weren’t dacoits, but they came with a warning. 'Leave before they come for you' they said. I knew it was the Taliban. The question in my mind was — why us? We have never hurt anyone." Afrooz's faith it turned out disqualified her from claiming the land of her birth and that of her forefathers her homeland. Her family are followers of the Bahai religion — considered unfit for the Islamic state. "I loved my country, my hometown, my house, my room. I miss everything I left behind. But we were lucky enough to get a new start in India unlike the thousands still stuck in the terrors of the war. There was hope for a better, brighter future. We had heard stories about the greatness of India — a generous land that embraces many cultures." Afrooz and 10 members of her family made their way into India in batches, entering the country on medical, and tourist visas. India allows people to migrate without prior permissions if their lives are in danger. From 15,917 Afghan refugees residing in India in 1998 to the 10,340 currently in India, Afghans fleeing war and persecution have found themselves safe and welcome here. "India abides by Article 31 of the Refugee Convention which permits the treatment of refugees. It exempts them from penalties for illegal entry when they come directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened. However, there is no law concerning refugees in the country. Their status is governed by guidelines stated under Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939. Although India is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Status of Refugees and 1967 Protocol, it has followed a very liberal refugee policy which adheres to the underlying principles of international refugee law," lawyer Yateesh Begoore Shivaswamy, told WION. Stay in India: In safety, but without jobs Afrooz has been in India for five years now. "People are extremely warm and helpful. However, our problems are countless. Indian government does not have laws for refugees. We are at the mercy of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). A refugee card issued by the organisation is our only identity proof. False promises (by UNHCR) of education, employment, income, health-care facilities were made to be broken. We are not eligible to even buy a sim card, forget about a bank account. My father is the only bread-earner of the family — he works in a bakery for Rupees 8000 a month. He has to support a nine-member family. The demonetisation period was tortuous. We are financially dependent on my uncle who sends money from Germany to supplement our family income. What if he decides to stop some day? What will we do then?" Refugee Card issues by UNHCR is valid for two years. It is not useful to get a SIM card or bank account (WION) × As refugees, they are not eligible for formal education or employment unless they have a long-term visa. "Promises were made but never fulfilled. Some Afghanis who have been in India for two years still don’t have refugee cards. They promise us unskilled jobs. UNHCR pays beauty parlours to train us, but we never get jobs." As time passed things kept getting worse instead of improving. "My sister was called in for an interview in Dilshad Garden (a neighbourhood in east Delhi) set up by the UNHCR. When she reached the venue, a strange man with possibly bad intentions waited for her in a dark room with strange lighting and music. She had to run. Saying that we live a poor, below dignity life is an understatement. I am a citizen... of this planet. I hate being called a refugee. I hate not having a home," she said, her eyes welling up. India is on the verge of granting citizenship to Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan who have sought refuge from religious persecution. "They are granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus. We as Muslims do not feel very welcomed. The Indian government doesn't take care of us." said Aman Zaidi, 30, who fled Afghanistan in hope of a better future for his sons. He has taught himself the languages spoken locally (Hindi and English) and now works as an interpreter for Afghan medical tourists at hospitals. Chaos, hope, fresh starts In spite of the ongoing social and political mayhem, the community has been able to make space for itself. The refugees that landed in India earlier watch out for the new arrivals. Afrooz's father got a house and job through another Sikh refugee from Afghanistan. In a back alley of Lajpat Nagar, a sprawling market area in south Delhi, is Afghan Market or Kabul street. Shop boards in Dari transcript, modest looking restaurants with fancy interiors, separate seating areas for men and women, playlists of Hindi, English and Pashto songs, general stores with supplies from United Arab Emirates (UAE), scent of Kabuli pulao - the place is a safe haven for Afghan refugees. Shops in Lajpat Nagar's Afghan market have signboards in English and Dari language (WION) × Naseem manages a street-vend of Afghani snacks. He offered me to try Bolani Gandana (a stuffed, deep fried bread). A tentative attempt to initiate a conversation revealed that Naseem was a rather garrulous man who had landed in India just a month ago. "I have a friend who has taken refuge here. He runs a restaurant and is helping me financially. The situation in Afghanistan is horrible. Here I am able to earn twice the amount I used to earlier working as a cook. I plan to bring my entire family over." "I love India. I have been a fan of Bollywood movies," he explained his ease in Hindi by telling this reporter about his love for Hindi films and actor Ajay Devgan. Naseem then insisted that I visit his friend's restaurant and have lunch there — typical of the largesse of his people. Naseem makes a decent living through a street-stall of Afghani snacks. He wants to bring his family to India soon (WION) × Twenty-year-old Ahmed arrived in India recently. His employer warned him to be careful with strangers. The shy young man took a while to open up. "I don't have a refugee card," he said while cooking bread in the clay oven of a small eatery. He hopes to start a new life here. "I come from Mazar-e-Sharif. A guy helped me escape. My family is still there. We all couldn't afford to come, so they sent me. I would want to see them again, but I don't want to go back to Afghanistan. It is terrifying to even think about it. I hope I can do enough to call them here," he smiled. Young or old, there is one common strain in all conversations — the luxury of a sound night's sleep without the fear of mortars and bombs tearing into homes. "My hometown was beautiful. I have grown up admiring the natural beauty around me. But things got out of control there. You can die any moment. Delhi is very crowded and they blare horns too loudly. But at least I can sleep without worrying at night. In other countries, they start firing on refugee boats. India has given us a home to live. We might not be citizens, but this is now our home," 60-year old Hameed told WION. Others headed back to India because it was their natural home. When the Sikh community found itself under attack by the Taliban, many of them made a long and arduous journey to the land of their forefather. Harmeet Chhabra, now a naturalised Indian citizen, came to India 24 years ago. "Our shop in Kabul was looted. We travelled on foot for 10 days in a group of 50. Our shop was raided and several friends and their families were killed. We did not know anyone in India. Initially, we took refuge in the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It has been a long journey." Today, Chhabra runs a chemist store in Delhi. Today the community finds shelter for some and homes for others in Delhi neighbourhooda like Lajpat Nagar, Bhogal, Saket, Tilak Nagar and Wazirabad. Wazirabad is where most Hindu and Sikh Afghans have settled down, driven from their homeland in 1991 by the Afghan Mujahideen during the rule of Mohammad Najibullah which were the early days of the Taliban. From a place away from home, the Afghan refugees use their culinary skills to build new lives for themselves (WION) × What the law says In terms of international obligations, as a consequence of its accession to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Government of India has some obligations towards the economic status of refugees. The Covenant guarantees everyone’s – including refugees’ – right to work. However, it may be noted that the Covenant provides a caveat wherein “developing countries, with due regard to human rights and their national economy, may determine to what extent they would guarantee the economic rights". "Refugees who fled their home country in fear of genuine threats are eligible for Long Term Visa (LTV). A refugee holding a long term visa is permitted to take up employment in the private sector or undertake studies in any academic institution." Shivaswamy added. Equal status for all refugees? The feasibility of legislation, however, remains a political question and whether Parliament would see fit to enact such legislation is hard to surmise. The ‘Asylum Bill 2015’ introduced in the Lok Sabha by MP Shashi Tharoor proposes fair treatment and just manner consistent with the guarantees of equality, fairness and due process of law for all refugees. The procedure of determining who qualifies as a refugee is unsure. While the government decides refugee status for fugitives from regions like Sri Lanka and Tibet, refugees from other regions need to approach UNHCR office. This has given rise to an inconsistent approach towards different nationalities, and an asylum policy that, on the whole, lacks uniformity. The community also claims discrimination and partiality when it comes to issuing refugee cards among refugees of different nationalities. "All refugees are not treated equally by the UNHCR. It is way easier for other communities to get basic documentation," Afrooz's brother, Faraz said. Clearly, there are loopholes in the system to implement policies in the interest of refugees. *Some names have been changed to protect identity (WION)

A sound night's sleep: Afghans hope for equal refugee benefits in India

Terrorists affiliated with the&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/islamic-state-of-iraq-and-syria.html">Islamic State of Iraq and Syria</a>&nbsp;(ISIS) terrorist group&#39;s offshoot in&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/afghanistan.html">Afghanistan</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/isis-khurasan.html">ISIS Khurasan</a>, have beheaded 10 Taliban fighters in the northern&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/jawzjan.html">Jawzjan</a>&nbsp;province.

IS fighters and Taliban militants have been engaged in intense fighting over the past several weeks for consolidating their positions in parts of Darzab district, but&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/islamic-state.html">Islamic State</a>&nbsp;fighters captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district and arrested 10 Taliban fighters and beheaded them, Xinhua reported.

Neither Taliban nor ISIS has made a comment on the report.

Darzab district and parts of Jowzjan province which is 390 km north of Kabul, have been the scene of&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/taliban.html">Taliban</a>&nbsp;and IS activities over the past more than one year.

In another incident, as many as fourteen militants ISIS militants have been killed in eastern&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/nangarhar.html">Nangarhar</a>&nbsp;province.

The 201st Silab Corps of the&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/afghan-national-army.html">Afghan National Army</a>&nbsp;confirmed that fourteen&nbsp;<a href="http://aninews.in/keysearch/keyword-search/isis.html">ISIS</a>&nbsp;militants were killed mysteriously in Khogyani district.

IS and Taliban have been engaged in intense fighting over the past several weeks for consolidating their positions in parts of Darzab district

Terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group's offshoot in Afghanistan, ISIS Khurasan, have beheaded 10 Taliban fighters in the northern Jawzjan province. IS fighters and Taliban militants have been engaged in intense fighting over the past several weeks for consolidating their positions in parts of Darzab district, but Islamic State fighters captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district and arrested 10 Taliban fighters and beheaded them, Xinhua reported. Neither Taliban nor ISIS has made a comment on the report. Darzab district and parts of Jowzjan province which is 390 km north of Kabul, have been the scene of Taliban and IS activities over the past more than one year. In another incident, as many as fourteen militants ISIS militants have been killed in eastern Nangarhar province. The 201st Silab Corps of the Afghan National Army confirmed that fourteen ISIS militants were killed mysteriously in Khogyani district.

Ten Taliban fighters beheaded by Islamic State in Afghanistan

At least 10 policemen were killed and four injured in an attack by the Taliban attack near the India-built Salma dam in Afghanistan&#39;s Herat province on Saturday night, police said today (June 25).

Taliban militants stormed a check post in Chesht district and escaped with most of the security personnel&#39;s weapons, a police spokesperson said.

He, however, added that the dam has previously been the target for Pakistan-based terror outfits.

India&#39;s Ambassador to Afghanistan Manpreet Vohra confirmed to a news channel that the militants were not targeting the Salma dam, since the attack took place 13 kms from it.

Four Taliban militants were also gunned down by the security forces during the attack.

&quot;Four Taliban insurgents were also killed in the clash with security forces,&quot; spokesman for provincial police chief, Gelani Farhad was quoted as saying by Tolonews.

India started rebuilding the Salma Dam, or the India-Afghanistan Friendship dam as it is popularly known, in 2002. &nbsp;The dam was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in 2016.

 
&nbsp;

The attack took place in Afghanistan's Herat province on Saturday night, police said

At least 10 policemen were killed and four injured in an attack by the Taliban attack near the India-built Salma dam in Afghanistan's Herat province on Saturday night, police said today (June 25). Taliban militants stormed a check post in Chesht district and escaped with most of the security personnel's weapons, a police spokesperson said. He, however, added that the dam has previously been the target for Pakistan-based terror outfits. India's Ambassador to Afghanistan Manpreet Vohra confirmed to a news channel that the militants were not targeting the Salma dam, since the attack took place 13 kms from it. Four Taliban militants were also gunned down by the security forces during the attack. "Four Taliban insurgents were also killed in the clash with security forces," spokesman for provincial police chief, Gelani Farhad was quoted as saying by Tolonews. India started rebuilding the Salma Dam, or the India-Afghanistan Friendship dam as it is popularly known, in 2002. The dam was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani in 2016.

Afghanistan: 10 policemen killed in Taliban attack near India-built Salma dam

Eight Afghan guards have been&nbsp;killed and two others wounded after&nbsp;gunmen attacked the American base at Bagram&nbsp;in Afghanistan.

Bagram is around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kabul. The Bagram base&nbsp;contains the largest US contingent in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/dozens-killed-and-wounded-in-attack-on-regional-afghanistan-police-hq-officials-16965">Also Read:&nbsp;At least 5 dead, 18 wounded in Afghan police HQ attacks</a>

&quot;They were all local residents serving as guards at Bagram,&quot; said district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi, adding that they were riding back home in a convoy when attacked.&nbsp;

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban are setting up nationwide attacks to regain&nbsp;their Afghanistan stronghold, while ISIS is trying to make new inroads into the country.&nbsp;

The US is expected&nbsp;to increase military deployment in the country to help Afghan forces contain the Taliban&#39;s rising offensive. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-to-send-4000-more-troops-to-afghanistan-reports-16891">At present, there are 8,400 US troops and another 5,000 from NATO allies </a>in Afghanistan, much&nbsp;less&nbsp;compared to the 100,000 troops six years ago.&nbsp;

Seven American soldiers were wounded in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier at Camp Shaheen near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday.

Analysts say such attacks are expected to increase this year as US troops engage with the Afghan military to double the size of its special forces, considered to be effective in the fight against insurgents.

The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led forces at war there since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001. 
&nbsp;

Bagram is around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kabul. The Bagram base?contains the largest US contingent in the country

Eight Afghan guards have been killed and two others wounded after gunmen attacked the American base at Bagram in Afghanistan. Bagram is around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Kabul. The Bagram base contains the largest US contingent in the country. Also Read: At least 5 dead, 18 wounded in Afghan police HQ attacks "They were all local residents serving as guards at Bagram," said district governor Abdul Shakoor Quddusi, adding that they were riding back home in a convoy when attacked. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban are setting up nationwide attacks to regain their Afghanistan stronghold, while ISIS is trying to make new inroads into the country. The US is expected to increase military deployment in the country to help Afghan forces contain the Taliban's rising offensive. At present, there are 8,400 US troops and another 5,000 from NATO allies in Afghanistan, much less compared to the 100,000 troops six years ago. Seven American soldiers were wounded in an insider attack by an Afghan soldier at Camp Shaheen near the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday. Analysts say such attacks are expected to increase this year as US troops engage with the Afghan military to double the size of its special forces, considered to be effective in the fight against insurgents. The Afghan conflict is the longest in American history, with US-led forces at war there since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.

Eight Afghan guards killed, two injured in attack on American base at Bagram

By Agnisheik Chatterji

The US administration&#39;s decision to open the possibility of redeploying thousands of soldiers in Afghanistan is a welcome one, but its success hinges on several factors.

US President Donald Trump Tuesday decided to empower the Pentagon to decide on the troop levels in Afghanistan, in his bid to &quot;win&quot; the stalemate in the war-torn country.

Not very long back -- even till 2015 -- the US was talking about an exit strategy from Afghanistan. They were looking to withdraw their troops by 2017. From 100,000 American soldiers in 2011, the US government has whittled down its presence to 8,400 troops, who are primarily engaged in non-combative roles.&nbsp;

But a rash of events turned that plan on its head. The pivot is primarily down to Washington&#39;s scrambled policy in the region that is bedevilled by a resurgent Taliban, a dormant Al Qaeda and a growing Islamic State.

There has been an increasing concern in the Pentagon about the Afghan security forces&#39; inability to withstand the annual Spring Offensive launched by the Taliban.&nbsp;

The fact that the US administration has spent close to $71 billion on training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), coupled with an annual $23 billion expenditure on the reconstruction of the ravaged country, stakes in the Afghanistan war remain ambitiously high.&nbsp;

Despite spending billions of dollars in training the local forces, the Afghan government controls roughly 59.7&nbsp;per cent of districts in 2017, down from 72 per cent in November 2015. This is down to a resilient Taliban chipping away at the fraying stalemate in the country and failure of the US in ably training the security personnel.

The recent attack on American soldiers has also pressured the US government to get their act together in the country. Five soldiers have been killed since April to underscore the turmoil swirling in the tough terrains of the South Asian nation.

When Senator John McCain questioned the government&#39;s will to act on the Afghanistan conundrum, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis admitted that they were still &quot;not winning&quot; the longest war in Afghanistan.

&quot;We are not winning in Afghanistan right now,&quot; Mattis said during Tuesday&#39;s congressional hearing, adding: &quot;And we will correct this as soon as possible.&quot;

Light-footprint approach&nbsp;

The US army has long wanted reinforcement of troops to combat the stasis that has gripped the ANSF too. About 35 per cent of the personnel do&nbsp;not re-enlist every year, according to the report submitted by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

Mattis defined &quot;winning&quot; in Afghanistan as a situation where the Afghan government, with international help, drives the insurgency down to a level that local security forces can handle it.&nbsp;

Although additional troops on the ground might lessen violence and the Taliban juggernaut in the short- to medium-term, duration of their stay would be imperative for any positive outcome.

The Americans can&#39;t just expect to arrest the level of violence and make a hasty retreat by leaving behind a few soldiers in non-combative role. That is because it is unreasonable to train the local security agencies in three, four years and then leave them to fight the extremists. The local forces would need air and logistical support to thwart future battles.

An untimely &quot;right-sizing&quot; of US troops would thereby diminish or negate important capabilities in countering terrorist threats, financing and overseeing contracts.&nbsp;

US&#39; presence in Korea is a point in case where decades of military deployment has yielded a semblance of stability in the region.

As mentioned before, 35 per cent of personnel don&#39;t re-enlist, meaning that full recruitment to cover the gap would ultimately result in dilution of quality. Also, there have been several concerns about the ability of middle- to senior-level Afghan commanders&#39; ability to lead troops in combat.

So the decision to introduce more US military presence would be good news in the region, but the burgeoning costs of the war is fraught with peril and also fiscally unsustainable.

Negotiations remain a pipe dream

In 2011, the US had all the cards in their negotiation with the Taliban. The US had about 100,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and the Taliban were in the doldrums. But even then, the two parties failed to forge a peace plan as Taliban continued playing hardball.

So if the current administration hopes to push the years-long war into a negotiated settlement by reining in the Taliban, their plan is more likely to fall off the cliff.

Today&#39;s Taliban is a different beast. The group has splintered in the aftermath of their leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour&#39;s death in 2016. Negotiating with a multi-headed group will be a nightmare for the White House.

The political infighting in the country is another factor that has precipitated Taliban&#39;s gains. Uncertainty in the corridors of power in Kabul and local governments have handed the Taliban a fertile ground to re-ignite their support among the masses.&nbsp;

The SIGAR 2017 report says: &quot;The National Unity Government grappled with political challenges ranging from defiance from Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former warlord whose bodyguards are charged with sodomising a political opponent, to resolving conflicts with the parliament over a path to promised parliamentary elections and Afghanistan&rsquo;s 2019 presidential contest.&quot;&nbsp;

If the US has to be successful in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, they have to upgrade the quality of polity in the country.

The US has to rectify its operational problems too, which has largely been marred by corruption.

Several Afghan security forces leaders have been prosecuted on corruption charges. There has also been widespread misuse of the funds sent by the US in the last few years, especially after they scaled down their presence.

The US will have to crack down on financial irregularities as well to sustain their project in the long run.&nbsp;

&#39;McMaster&#39;s War&#39;

The Trump administration&#39;s renewed policy in Afghanistan has been largely forged by national security advisor Lt Gen HR McMaster. So much so that certain sections of the White House have dubbed the fresh Afghan blueprint as &quot;McMaster&#39;s War&quot;.

The shift in decision-making from the White House to the Pentagon has been credited to McMaster.

He has been an endorser of Sun Tzu&#39;s &quot;The Art of War&quot; tenet which advocates winning the hearts and minds of the populace to help defeat the insurgency.

But the task of micro-managing the local population remains an uphill task as the Afghans would be wary, and weary, of yet another bout of foreign presence in their country.&nbsp;

US troops have been viewed by the locals with deep hostility due to the bloody quagmire they have endured for 16 years and wanton shootings perpetrated by US soldiers.&nbsp;

As Abraham Lincoln said in his 1858 &ldquo;A House Divided&rdquo; speech, &ldquo;If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it&quot;.

Therefore, it remains vital for the US administration to adopt a multi-pronged strategy -- not just miltarily -- to consolidate any gains they make in the country.

(WION)

The task of micro-managing the local population remains an uphill task as the Afghans would be wary, and weary, of yet another bout of foreign presence in their country.

By Agnisheik Chatterji The US administration's decision to open the possibility of redeploying thousands of soldiers in Afghanistan is a welcome one, but its success hinges on several factors. US President Donald Trump Tuesday decided to empower the Pentagon to decide on the troop levels in Afghanistan, in his bid to "win" the stalemate in the war-torn country. Not very long back -- even till 2015 -- the US was talking about an exit strategy from Afghanistan. They were looking to withdraw their troops by 2017. From 100,000 American soldiers in 2011, the US government has whittled down its presence to 8,400 troops, who are primarily engaged in non-combative roles. But a rash of events turned that plan on its head. The pivot is primarily down to Washington's scrambled policy in the region that is bedevilled by a resurgent Taliban, a dormant Al Qaeda and a growing Islamic State. There has been an increasing concern in the Pentagon about the Afghan security forces' inability to withstand the annual Spring Offensive launched by the Taliban. The fact that the US administration has spent close to $71 billion on training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), coupled with an annual $23 billion expenditure on the reconstruction of the ravaged country, stakes in the Afghanistan war remain ambitiously high. Despite spending billions of dollars in training the local forces, the Afghan government controls roughly 59.7 per cent of districts in 2017, down from 72 per cent in November 2015. This is down to a resilient Taliban chipping away at the fraying stalemate in the country and failure of the US in ably training the security personnel. The recent attack on American soldiers has also pressured the US government to get their act together in the country. Five soldiers have been killed since April to underscore the turmoil swirling in the tough terrains of the South Asian nation. When Senator John McCain questioned the government's will to act on the Afghanistan conundrum, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis admitted that they were still "not winning" the longest war in Afghanistan. "We are not winning in Afghanistan right now," Mattis said during Tuesday's congressional hearing, adding: "And we will correct this as soon as possible." Light-footprint approach The US army has long wanted reinforcement of troops to combat the stasis that has gripped the ANSF too. About 35 per cent of the personnel do not re-enlist every year, according to the report submitted by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Mattis defined "winning" in Afghanistan as a situation where the Afghan government, with international help, drives the insurgency down to a level that local security forces can handle it. Although additional troops on the ground might lessen violence and the Taliban juggernaut in the short- to medium-term, duration of their stay would be imperative for any positive outcome. The Americans can't just expect to arrest the level of violence and make a hasty retreat by leaving behind a few soldiers in non-combative role. That is because it is unreasonable to train the local security agencies in three, four years and then leave them to fight the extremists. The local forces would need air and logistical support to thwart future battles. An untimely "right-sizing" of US troops would thereby diminish or negate important capabilities in countering terrorist threats, financing and overseeing contracts. US' presence in Korea is a point in case where decades of military deployment has yielded a semblance of stability in the region. As mentioned before, 35 per cent of personnel don't re-enlist, meaning that full recruitment to cover the gap would ultimately result in dilution of quality. Also, there have been several concerns about the ability of middle- to senior-level Afghan commanders' ability to lead troops in combat. So the decision to introduce more US military presence would be good news in the region, but the burgeoning costs of the war is fraught with peril and also fiscally unsustainable. Negotiations remain a pipe dream In 2011, the US had all the cards in their negotiation with the Taliban. The US had about 100,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and the Taliban were in the doldrums. But even then, the two parties failed to forge a peace plan as Taliban continued playing hardball. So if the current administration hopes to push the years-long war into a negotiated settlement by reining in the Taliban, their plan is more likely to fall off the cliff. Today's Taliban is a different beast. The group has splintered in the aftermath of their leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour's death in 2016. Negotiating with a multi-headed group will be a nightmare for the White House. The political infighting in the country is another factor that has precipitated Taliban's gains. Uncertainty in the corridors of power in Kabul and local governments have handed the Taliban a fertile ground to re-ignite their support among the masses. The SIGAR 2017 report says: "The National Unity Government grappled with political challenges ranging from defiance from Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former warlord whose bodyguards are charged with sodomising a political opponent, to resolving conflicts with the parliament over a path to promised parliamentary elections and Afghanistan’s 2019 presidential contest." If the US has to be successful in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, they have to upgrade the quality of polity in the country. The US has to rectify its operational problems too, which has largely been marred by corruption. Several Afghan security forces leaders have been prosecuted on corruption charges. There has also been widespread misuse of the funds sent by the US in the last few years, especially after they scaled down their presence. The US will have to crack down on financial irregularities as well to sustain their project in the long run. 'McMaster's War' The Trump administration's renewed policy in Afghanistan has been largely forged by national security advisor Lt Gen HR McMaster. So much so that certain sections of the White House have dubbed the fresh Afghan blueprint as "McMaster's War". The shift in decision-making from the White House to the Pentagon has been credited to McMaster. He has been an endorser of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" tenet which advocates winning the hearts and minds of the populace to help defeat the insurgency. But the task of micro-managing the local population remains an uphill task as the Afghans would be wary, and weary, of yet another bout of foreign presence in their country. US troops have been viewed by the locals with deep hostility due to the bloody quagmire they have endured for 16 years and wanton shootings perpetrated by US soldiers. As Abraham Lincoln said in his 1858 “A House Divided” speech, “If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it". Therefore, it remains vital for the US administration to adopt a multi-pronged strategy -- not just miltarily -- to consolidate any gains they make in the country. (WION)

US plan to win Afghan stalemate is zero-sum game

A protest in Kabul turned&nbsp;violent and left&nbsp;seven people dead and at least ten injured. &nbsp;

This morning, two days after the deadly attack which killed at least 90 people and injured more than 500, people took to the streets of Kabul to protest against the deteriorating security scenario in the country.&nbsp;

The Afghan police initially used water cannons and tear gas to block the protest and then resorted to automatic gunfire into the air. A journalist from the Afghan media TOLOnews, said that protesters pelted stones against security forces.&nbsp;

It is still unclear how the protesters have died, but sources on the ground said that police forces started firing live bullets against the crowd.&nbsp;

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An ugly image from today&#39;s protest in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> : Police shooting live bullets. <a href="https://t.co/raISFSRgi9">pic.twitter.com/raISFSRgi9</a>
&mdash; Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) <a href="https://twitter.com/tahirqadiry/status/870555113273864192">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Angry protesters are trying 2 make into <a href="https://twitter.com/ARG_AFG">@ARG_AFG</a> where they are resisted by firefighters. Police have reportedly detained many protesters <a href="https://t.co/QqTU9UZO2G">pic.twitter.com/QqTU9UZO2G</a>
&mdash; Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) <a href="https://twitter.com/tahirqadiry/status/870541451117158401">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According to Reuters there were approximately 1,000 people carrying pictures of victims.&nbsp;

TOLOnews said that protestors were chanting slogans against the government and its two main leaders, President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. A participant was holding out of a car window a banner reading &quot;Ghani! Abdullah! Resign! Resign!&quot;, along with a picture of bloodstained children.&nbsp;

Demonstrators, most of whom are residents of Kabul,&nbsp;criticised the government for not being able&nbsp;to secure the country and assuring safety for its people. They demanded the resignation of the head of the National Security Council and of the National Directorate of Security.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> - Police stop Kabul protestors from marching towards the Presidential Palace - Video <a href="https://t.co/dkpQ0wsP9h">pic.twitter.com/dkpQ0wsP9h</a>
&mdash; TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/870560076674760704">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Afghanistan&#39;s capital city has lately witnessed an increasing number of attacks and memories of relative peace are quickly fading away. Wednesday&#39;s attack happened in the heart of the city where several embassies are located. &nbsp;

The fact that the explosive-laden sewage tank managed to cross security checkpoints raised immediate concerns on the effectiveness of the safety measures active in the city.&nbsp;

Lack of security is becoming perhaps the most pressing issue for the Afghan government, which is losing ground to a renewed Taliban offensive. According to the US top commander in Afghanistan, Lt&nbsp;Gen&nbsp;John Nicholson, the central government controls only 60 per cent of the country. &nbsp;

The overall situation could deteriorate further if the Afghan government decides to go ahead with its decision of hanging as many as eleven convicted leaders of both the Taliban and&nbsp;the Haqqani network, which President Ghani believes to have masterminded the massacre. Anas Haqqani, operational leader of the namesake organisation is not among the prisoners to be executed.

Retaliation is an integral part of the Taliban history and they are likely to react if the government decides to kill members of their movement.&nbsp;

The Afghan national army and the country&#39;s security forces struggle to oppose the insurgents, opium production is increasing and the US and the NATO decided to increase their presence in the country. President Ashraf Ghani is facing the most difficult moment of his presidency, gripped between a growing discontent and the necessity of foreign aid. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Police fired on protesters demanding resignation of President Ghani and top security officers after Wednesday's suicide attack killed 90 in Kabul

A protest in Kabul turned violent and left seven people dead and at least ten injured. This morning, two days after the deadly attack which killed at least 90 people and injured more than 500, people took to the streets of Kabul to protest against the deteriorating security scenario in the country. The Afghan police initially used water cannons and tear gas to block the protest and then resorted to automatic gunfire into the air. A journalist from the Afghan media TOLOnews, said that protesters pelted stones against security forces. It is still unclear how the protesters have died, but sources on the ground said that police forces started firing live bullets against the crowd. An ugly image from today's protest in #Kabul : Police shooting live bullets. pic.twitter.com/raISFSRgi9 — Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) June 2, 2017 × Angry protesters are trying 2 make into @ARG_AFG where they are resisted by firefighters. Police have reportedly detained many protesters pic.twitter.com/QqTU9UZO2G — Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) June 2, 2017 × According to Reuters there were approximately 1,000 people carrying pictures of victims. TOLOnews said that protestors were chanting slogans against the government and its two main leaders, President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. A participant was holding out of a car window a banner reading "Ghani! Abdullah! Resign! Resign!", along with a picture of bloodstained children. Demonstrators, most of whom are residents of Kabul, criticised the government for not being able to secure the country and assuring safety for its people. They demanded the resignation of the head of the National Security Council and of the National Directorate of Security. #Kabul - Police stop Kabul protestors from marching towards the Presidential Palace - Video pic.twitter.com/dkpQ0wsP9h — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) June 2, 2017 × Afghanistan's capital city has lately witnessed an increasing number of attacks and memories of relative peace are quickly fading away. Wednesday's attack happened in the heart of the city where several embassies are located. The fact that the explosive-laden sewage tank managed to cross security checkpoints raised immediate concerns on the effectiveness of the safety measures active in the city. Lack of security is becoming perhaps the most pressing issue for the Afghan government, which is losing ground to a renewed Taliban offensive. According to the US top commander in Afghanistan, Lt Gen John Nicholson, the central government controls only 60 per cent of the country. The overall situation could deteriorate further if the Afghan government decides to go ahead with its decision of hanging as many as eleven convicted leaders of both the Taliban and the Haqqani network, which President Ghani believes to have masterminded the massacre. Anas Haqqani, operational leader of the namesake organisation is not among the prisoners to be executed. Retaliation is an integral part of the Taliban history and they are likely to react if the government decides to kill members of their movement. The Afghan national army and the country's security forces struggle to oppose the insurgents, opium production is increasing and the US and the NATO decided to increase their presence in the country. President Ashraf Ghani is facing the most difficult moment of his presidency, gripped between a growing discontent and the necessity of foreign aid. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Afghanistan: 7 dead as protests erupt in Kabul against worsening security scenario

A powerful bomb hidden in a sewage tanker exploded in the morning rush hour in the centre of the Afghan capital on Wednesday, police said, killing at least 80 people, wounding hundreds and damaging embassy buildings.

The victims appeared mainly to have been Afghan civilians.

The bomb, one of the deadliest in Kabul and coming at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, exploded close to the fortified entrance to the German embassy, wounding some staff, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said.&nbsp;

One Afghan security guard was killed and others were likely among the dead, Gabriel said. A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said the bomber&#39;s target was unknown.

However, the area is home to other embassies and government offices so the precise target of the attack was not immediately clear. A&nbsp;French minister said French and German embassies were damaged in the blast.

&quot;Such attacks do not change our resolve in continuing to support the Afghan government in the stabilization of the country,&quot; Gabriel said.

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A big explosion went off in the Afghan capital, Kabul caused by a car bomb near the German embassy killing several and wounding many others officials said. (Reuters)
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The explosion took place just 50 metres away from the Indian embassy, media reports said. Indian staff at the embassy are safe, reports said. The blast shattered all windows of the Indian embassy.

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By God&#39;s grace, Indian Embassy staff are safe in the massive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> blast.
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/869775310706716672">May 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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We strongly condemn the terrorist blast in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased &amp; prayers with the injured.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/869799248287588353">May 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&quot;It was a car bomb near the German embassy, but there are several other important compounds and offices near there too. It is hard to say what the exact target is,&quot; Basir Mujahid a spokesman for Kabul police&nbsp;said.

Witnesses said dozens of cars were blocking roads and some wounded people could be seen.&nbsp;There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The blast sent clouds of black smoke spiralling over the centre of the city in an area near the presidential palace and foreign embassies.

Houses hundreds of metres away from the blast were damaged with windows and doors blown off their hinges.

The Indian embassy in Kabul was attacked in 2008 by a&nbsp;suicide bomber.&nbsp;The bombing killed 58 people&nbsp;and wounded 141.&nbsp;

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the Afghan capital, including a powerful blast targeting an armoured NATO convoy that killed at least eight people and wounded 28 on May 3.

The explosion will add pressure to the fragile government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has faced mounting discontent over its inability to control the insurgency and provide security for Afghan citizens.

The Taliban have been stepping up their push to defeat the US-backed government. Since most international troops withdrew at the end of 2014, the Taliban have gained ground and now control or contest about 40 per cent of the country, according to US&nbsp;estimates. Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government, however,&nbsp;holds all provincial centres.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is due to decide soon on a recommendation to send 3,000 to 5,000 more troops to bolster the small NATO training force and US&nbsp;counter-terrorism mission now totalling just over 10,000.

The commander of US&nbsp;forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, told a congressional hearing this year that he needed several thousand more troops to help Afghan forces break a &quot;stalemate&quot; with the Taliban.

(WION with Agency inputs)&nbsp;

The explosion took place just 50 metres away from the Indian embassy

A powerful bomb hidden in a sewage tanker exploded in the morning rush hour in the centre of the Afghan capital on Wednesday, police said, killing at least 80 people, wounding hundreds and damaging embassy buildings. The victims appeared mainly to have been Afghan civilians. The bomb, one of the deadliest in Kabul and coming at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, exploded close to the fortified entrance to the German embassy, wounding some staff, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said. One Afghan security guard was killed and others were likely among the dead, Gabriel said. A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said the bomber's target was unknown. However, the area is home to other embassies and government offices so the precise target of the attack was not immediately clear. A French minister said French and German embassies were damaged in the blast. "Such attacks do not change our resolve in continuing to support the Afghan government in the stabilization of the country," Gabriel said. A big explosion went off in the Afghan capital, Kabul caused by a car bomb near the German embassy killing several and wounding many others officials said. (Reuters) × The explosion took place just 50 metres away from the Indian embassy, media reports said. Indian staff at the embassy are safe, reports said. The blast shattered all windows of the Indian embassy. By God's grace, Indian Embassy staff are safe in the massive #Kabul blast. — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 31, 2017 × We strongly condemn the terrorist blast in Kabul. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased & prayers with the injured. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2017 × "It was a car bomb near the German embassy, but there are several other important compounds and offices near there too. It is hard to say what the exact target is," Basir Mujahid a spokesman for Kabul police said. Witnesses said dozens of cars were blocking roads and some wounded people could be seen. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. The blast sent clouds of black smoke spiralling over the centre of the city in an area near the presidential palace and foreign embassies. Houses hundreds of metres away from the blast were damaged with windows and doors blown off their hinges. The Indian embassy in Kabul was attacked in 2008 by a suicide bomber. The bombing killed 58 people and wounded 141. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for several recent bombings in the Afghan capital, including a powerful blast targeting an armoured NATO convoy that killed at least eight people and wounded 28 on May 3. The explosion will add pressure to the fragile government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has faced mounting discontent over its inability to control the insurgency and provide security for Afghan citizens. The Taliban have been stepping up their push to defeat the US-backed government. Since most international troops withdrew at the end of 2014, the Taliban have gained ground and now control or contest about 40 per cent of the country, according to US estimates. Ashraf Ghani's government, however, holds all provincial centres. US President Donald Trump is due to decide soon on a recommendation to send 3,000 to 5,000 more troops to bolster the small NATO training force and US counter-terrorism mission now totalling just over 10,000. The commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, told a congressional hearing this year that he needed several thousand more troops to help Afghan forces break a "stalemate" with the Taliban. (WION with Agency inputs)

At least 80 killed, hundreds wounded in truck bomb explosion in Kabul's embassy area

Agnisheik Chatterji

United States President Donald Trump&#39;s annual budget proposal to convert grants given to Pakistan into loans will have significant ramifications -- both in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The White House on Tuesday (May 23) said the &quot;Foreign Military Funding for Pakistan may be provided in the form of a loan&quot;, though the Trump administration has let the State Department take a call on it.

If the proposal is implemented, it will be a sharp departure from Washington&#39;s decades-long policy vis-a-vis its aid to Pakistan.

Crucially, the plan coincides with Washington&#39;s deliberation on whether to renew its military presence on Afghan soil.

The impending decision may boomerang on the United States on three fronts, all involving a possible pivot in Pakistan&#39;s foreign policy: Islamabad may shun the US and look to China for its source of aid, escalate its covert militant operations in Afghanistan and scythe its decades-long civilian and military cooperation with Washington.

Although US-Pakistan ties have ebbed and flowed ever since the latter&#39;s creation in 1947, the potential quagmire is likely to undermine the US&#39; geopolitical advantage and be viewed by many as a very expensive failure.

At one point, Pakistan was the third-largest recipient of US assistance -- Washington gave Islamabad nearly $19 billion in aid between 2002 and 2010 and nearly $75 billion since 1951.

And although their partnership has largely served its utilitarian purpose -- during the US&#39; proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and its war on terror in the South Asian region in the noughties -- their worsening relations will only indicate that Pakistan has been a black hole for US funds.

A history of mistrust and friendship

Their partnership has been viewed by many as a marriage of convenience.

US&#39; economic assistance to Pakistan peaked in the Cold War-dominated 1960s, while its military aid spiked during the 1980s (Soviet Union) and 2000s (Taliban).

But there have been periods of lull as well. 
&nbsp; 
Washington scrapped its aid during the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971, and when Islamabad forged ahead with its uranium enrichment programme.

The 9/11 attack in 2001 significantly altered Washington&#39;s South Asia praxis when they decided to give large tranches of aid to Islamabad in their fight to remove the last vestige of Taliban from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Since 2010, the assistance monies have sharply declined and the current administration&#39;s decision to convert future military funding into loans will irk the Pakistani establishment.

Washington&#39;s re-evaluation of its aid programme came in 2008 when the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, or the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill, increased accountability of the Pakistan army and lay down strict caveats.

Till then, between 2001 and 2010, there were scant conditions imposed by the US. 
&nbsp; 
Pakistan was now required to certify that they didn&#39;t stockpile its weaponry to augment its military against India. They also had to promise that they had stopped supporting extremist forces and had dismantled terror launchpads.

Washington&#39;s doctrinal shift came amid concerns over Islamabad&#39;s misuse of aid. Reports had emanated about how Pakistan used half the funds to purchase F-16s and anti-missile defence systems.&nbsp;

But Trump&#39;s proposal is a major political gamble for the US.

A glance at their past does suggest that the potential impasse is not unprecedented.

However, China&#39;s rising influence in Pakistan is too close for comfort for the White House. And conversion of grants into loans might unhinge the decades-long bilateral ties.

China has already made its foray in the region, with Beijing signing a massive $54 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, aimed to upgrade and boost the south Asian nation&#39;s infrastructure and economy.

The Afghanistan conundrum&nbsp;

A potential frostiness would also put the US on the back foot in the region.

Pakistan&#39;s importance to the US was underpinned by Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who said that it was &iuml;mperative&quot; for the ties to remain harmonious as it would enhance &quot;the safety of American troops&quot; and success of their Afghanistan mission&quot;.

If Pakistan were to row back on its association with the White House, it would endanger the already-perilous security status in Afghanistan.

This period is even more crucial for the Trump administration as it coincides with them mulling redeployment of 3,000 to 5,000 US troops in Afghanistan.

Currently, there are US troops, but only in an advisory capacity.

But the situation is turning bleak, with Taliban&#39;s annual Spring Offensive blowing considerable holes in the indigenous Afghan security forces.

The Taliban has gradually regained lost ground in Afghanistan ever since NATO troops departed the country&#39;s shores. They currently hold sway over 40 per cent of the war-torn country.

Moreover, the Afghan security forces have been beset by spike in casualty toll, desertion and fragging. A US watchdog said there was a 35 per cent increase in Afghan soldiers and police killed during last year&#39;s Spring Offensive.

Alienating Pakistan at this juncture is likely to backfire on the US as Islamabad has supported the Afghan Taliban over the last few years as a tool to meddle in the internal affairs of their neighbours.

Though Pakistan has denied supporting terror networks, various US-based white papers and senior administrative officials have blamed Islamabad and their intel agency Inter-Services Intelligence of playing a double game.

Washington has pressured Pakistan in the past to crack down on Taliban but their efforts have borne little results.

Several analysts believe Islamabad provides Afghan Taliban safe havens in their country to launch attacks across the Durand Line -- the controversial border that politically separates Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Further, a spurned Pakistan could activate the sleeping cells of the Haqqani network in Pakistan, which could spell further trouble for Afghanistan and the US.

If the US administration is to pull the plug on its aid and convert them into loans, they would lose a crucial ally in Pakistan and further lose ground in Afghanistan.

Calls for stripping aid to Pakistan have grown louder in recent years, but the timing of it would likely erode US&#39; policy in the region. For now, it&#39;s all about the timing.

(WION)

United States President Donald Trump's annual budget has thought of converting grants given to Pakistan to purchase military hardware into loans

Agnisheik Chatterji United States President Donald Trump's annual budget proposal to convert grants given to Pakistan into loans will have significant ramifications -- both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The White House on Tuesday (May 23) said the "Foreign Military Funding for Pakistan may be provided in the form of a loan", though the Trump administration has let the State Department take a call on it. If the proposal is implemented, it will be a sharp departure from Washington's decades-long policy vis-a-vis its aid to Pakistan. Crucially, the plan coincides with Washington's deliberation on whether to renew its military presence on Afghan soil. The impending decision may boomerang on the United States on three fronts, all involving a possible pivot in Pakistan's foreign policy: Islamabad may shun the US and look to China for its source of aid, escalate its covert militant operations in Afghanistan and scythe its decades-long civilian and military cooperation with Washington. Although US-Pakistan ties have ebbed and flowed ever since the latter's creation in 1947, the potential quagmire is likely to undermine the US' geopolitical advantage and be viewed by many as a very expensive failure. At one point, Pakistan was the third-largest recipient of US assistance -- Washington gave Islamabad nearly $19 billion in aid between 2002 and 2010 and nearly $75 billion since 1951. And although their partnership has largely served its utilitarian purpose -- during the US' proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and its war on terror in the South Asian region in the noughties -- their worsening relations will only indicate that Pakistan has been a black hole for US funds. A history of mistrust and friendship Their partnership has been viewed by many as a marriage of convenience. US' economic assistance to Pakistan peaked in the Cold War-dominated 1960s, while its military aid spiked during the 1980s (Soviet Union) and 2000s (Taliban). But there have been periods of lull as well. Washington scrapped its aid during the India-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971, and when Islamabad forged ahead with its uranium enrichment programme. The 9/11 attack in 2001 significantly altered Washington's South Asia praxis when they decided to give large tranches of aid to Islamabad in their fight to remove the last vestige of Taliban from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since 2010, the assistance monies have sharply declined and the current administration's decision to convert future military funding into loans will irk the Pakistani establishment. Washington's re-evaluation of its aid programme came in 2008 when the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, or the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill, increased accountability of the Pakistan army and lay down strict caveats. Till then, between 2001 and 2010, there were scant conditions imposed by the US. Pakistan was now required to certify that they didn't stockpile its weaponry to augment its military against India. They also had to promise that they had stopped supporting extremist forces and had dismantled terror launchpads. Washington's doctrinal shift came amid concerns over Islamabad's misuse of aid. Reports had emanated about how Pakistan used half the funds to purchase F-16s and anti-missile defence systems. But Trump's proposal is a major political gamble for the US. A glance at their past does suggest that the potential impasse is not unprecedented. However, China's rising influence in Pakistan is too close for comfort for the White House. And conversion of grants into loans might unhinge the decades-long bilateral ties. China has already made its foray in the region, with Beijing signing a massive $54 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, aimed to upgrade and boost the south Asian nation's infrastructure and economy. The Afghanistan conundrum A potential frostiness would also put the US on the back foot in the region. Pakistan's importance to the US was underpinned by Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who said that it was ïmperative" for the ties to remain harmonious as it would enhance "the safety of American troops" and success of their Afghanistan mission". If Pakistan were to row back on its association with the White House, it would endanger the already-perilous security status in Afghanistan. This period is even more crucial for the Trump administration as it coincides with them mulling redeployment of 3,000 to 5,000 US troops in Afghanistan. Currently, there are US troops, but only in an advisory capacity. But the situation is turning bleak, with Taliban's annual Spring Offensive blowing considerable holes in the indigenous Afghan security forces. The Taliban has gradually regained lost ground in Afghanistan ever since NATO troops departed the country's shores. They currently hold sway over 40 per cent of the war-torn country. Moreover, the Afghan security forces have been beset by spike in casualty toll, desertion and fragging. A US watchdog said there was a 35 per cent increase in Afghan soldiers and police killed during last year's Spring Offensive. Alienating Pakistan at this juncture is likely to backfire on the US as Islamabad has supported the Afghan Taliban over the last few years as a tool to meddle in the internal affairs of their neighbours. Though Pakistan has denied supporting terror networks, various US-based white papers and senior administrative officials have blamed Islamabad and their intel agency Inter-Services Intelligence of playing a double game. Washington has pressured Pakistan in the past to crack down on Taliban but their efforts have borne little results. Several analysts believe Islamabad provides Afghan Taliban safe havens in their country to launch attacks across the Durand Line -- the controversial border that politically separates Pakistan and Afghanistan. Further, a spurned Pakistan could activate the sleeping cells of the Haqqani network in Pakistan, which could spell further trouble for Afghanistan and the US. If the US administration is to pull the plug on its aid and convert them into loans, they would lose a crucial ally in Pakistan and further lose ground in Afghanistan. Calls for stripping aid to Pakistan have grown louder in recent years, but the timing of it would likely erode US' policy in the region. For now, it's all about the timing. (WION)

US' Pakistan aid-to-loan proposal is fraught with danger

At least 10 Afghan soldiers were killed when militants attacked their army base in the southern province of Kandahar, the defence ministry said Tuesday, in the latest attack on Western-backed forces.

The assault in Shah Wali Kot district late Monday came just a day after 20 Afghan policemen were killed when Taliban fighters stormed their outposts in the neighbouring province of Zabul.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the Kandahar attack. But Taliban insurgents are intensifying their annual spring offensive and their strength is growing, more than 15 years after they were toppled from power in a US-led invasion.

&quot;Last night the enemies of Afghanistan attacked Achakzai camp of army corps 205 in Shah Wali Kot district,&quot; the defence ministry said in a statement.

&quot;Ten brave army soldiers were martyred and nine others wounded. The wounded soldiers were taken to hospital and they are in stable condition.&quot;

The attack marks another setback for NATO-backed Afghan forces. It comes just a month after the Taliban killed at least 135 soldiers in the northern province of Balkh in the deadliest insurgent attack on an Afghan military base since 2001.

During the Zabul attack early Sunday, local officials made desperate calls to Afghan television stations to seek attention because they were unable to contact senior authorities for help, highlighting the disarray in security ranks.

Taliban militants launched their annual &quot;spring offensive&quot; in late April, heralding a surge in fighting as the US tries to craft a new Afghan strategy and NATO considers sending more troops to break the stalemate against the resurgent militants.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last month warned of &quot;another tough year&quot; for security forces in Afghanistan.

The White House is considering sending thousands more troops to break the deadlock.

US troops in Afghanistan number about 8,400 today, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies. The foreign forces mainly serve in an advisory capacity.

The troop strengths are a far cry from the US presence of more than 100,000 six years ago.

(AFP)

The attack comes as the US administration contemplates whether to send more troops to rein in attacks in the war-strife country

At least 10 Afghan soldiers were killed when militants attacked their army base in the southern province of Kandahar, the defence ministry said Tuesday, in the latest attack on Western-backed forces. The assault in Shah Wali Kot district late Monday came just a day after 20 Afghan policemen were killed when Taliban fighters stormed their outposts in the neighbouring province of Zabul. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the Kandahar attack. But Taliban insurgents are intensifying their annual spring offensive and their strength is growing, more than 15 years after they were toppled from power in a US-led invasion. "Last night the enemies of Afghanistan attacked Achakzai camp of army corps 205 in Shah Wali Kot district," the defence ministry said in a statement. "Ten brave army soldiers were martyred and nine others wounded. The wounded soldiers were taken to hospital and they are in stable condition." The attack marks another setback for NATO-backed Afghan forces. It comes just a month after the Taliban killed at least 135 soldiers in the northern province of Balkh in the deadliest insurgent attack on an Afghan military base since 2001. During the Zabul attack early Sunday, local officials made desperate calls to Afghan television stations to seek attention because they were unable to contact senior authorities for help, highlighting the disarray in security ranks. Taliban militants launched their annual "spring offensive" in late April, heralding a surge in fighting as the US tries to craft a new Afghan strategy and NATO considers sending more troops to break the stalemate against the resurgent militants. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last month warned of "another tough year" for security forces in Afghanistan. The White House is considering sending thousands more troops to break the deadlock. US troops in Afghanistan number about 8,400 today, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies. The foreign forces mainly serve in an advisory capacity. The troop strengths are a far cry from the US presence of more than 100,000 six years ago. (AFP)

At least 10 Afghan troops killed after militants attack army base

Gunmen stormed a bank in southeastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing three people and wounding over 30 more, officials said, as the country struggles with a rise in violent attacks.

Five attackers, armed with suicide vests and guns, forced their way inside after one of them blew themselves up at the entrance of New Kabul Bank in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Abdullah Hasrat the provincial spokesman told AFP.

&quot;People were queueing to receive their monthly salaries from the bank when they were attacked,&quot; he said.

Abdul Wali the deputy provincial governor said most of people in the bank were members of the security forces.

&quot;After around two hours of stand off, all the attackers were killed. Unfortunately, two police and a civilian also lost their lives,&quot; he said adding that 31 other people were wounded.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants such as Taliban and the Islamic State group have previously carried out similar attacks, including on banks where Afghan security forces regularly collect their pay.

In 2014, an attack on Kabul Bank killed at least ten people, including five police, in Lashkar Gah, the capital of volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

Similarly, a Taliban attack on a bank killed around 40 people in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province in 2011.&nbsp;

(AFP)

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants such as Taliban and the Islamic State group have previously carried out similar attacks

Gunmen stormed a bank in southeastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing three people and wounding over 30 more, officials said, as the country struggles with a rise in violent attacks. Five attackers, armed with suicide vests and guns, forced their way inside after one of them blew themselves up at the entrance of New Kabul Bank in Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, Abdullah Hasrat the provincial spokesman told AFP. "People were queueing to receive their monthly salaries from the bank when they were attacked," he said. Abdul Wali the deputy provincial governor said most of people in the bank were members of the security forces. "After around two hours of stand off, all the attackers were killed. Unfortunately, two police and a civilian also lost their lives," he said adding that 31 other people were wounded. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants such as Taliban and the Islamic State group have previously carried out similar attacks, including on banks where Afghan security forces regularly collect their pay. In 2014, an attack on Kabul Bank killed at least ten people, including five police, in Lashkar Gah, the capital of volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Similarly, a Taliban attack on a bank killed around 40 people in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province in 2011. (AFP)

Three dead, 30 hurt in Afghan bank attack

Eleven members of an Afghan family, mostly women and children, were killed Friday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while they were travelling for an engagement ceremony in the country&#39;s volatile east.

The attack occurred in the Mohammad Agha district of Laghman province but no militant group has so far claimed responsibility.

&quot;The bomb struck their Toyota sedan when they were going for an engagement ceremony,&quot; said Logar Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai.

&quot;The victims included five women and five children.&quot;

Provincial authorities blamed the Taliban, who launched their annual &quot;spring offensive&quot; last month, for the killings.

The Taliban were not immediately reachable for comment, but roadside bombs have been the militants&#39; weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces.

The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians.

Some 987 child casualties were reported from conflict-related incidents in the first four months of 2017, a record high for the period since the United Nations began documenting such cases.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan voiced alarm when five boys from one family were killed this month by an unexploded mortar round in Laghman.

&quot;The children were playing outside their home and found the mortar round, likely fired during fighting earlier in the day,&quot; said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto.&nbsp;

&quot;A family destroyed in seconds -- this horror is just one of too many incidents documented at the onset of this fighting season.&quot;

(AFP)

Provincial authorities blamed the Taliban, though the group could not be reached for comment

Eleven members of an Afghan family, mostly women and children, were killed Friday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb while they were travelling for an engagement ceremony in the country's volatile east. The attack occurred in the Mohammad Agha district of Laghman province but no militant group has so far claimed responsibility. "The bomb struck their Toyota sedan when they were going for an engagement ceremony," said Logar Governor Mohammad Halim Fidai. "The victims included five women and five children." Provincial authorities blamed the Taliban, who launched their annual "spring offensive" last month, for the killings. The Taliban were not immediately reachable for comment, but roadside bombs have been the militants' weapon of choice in their war against foreign and Afghan security forces. The bombs also increasingly kill and wound civilians. Some 987 child casualties were reported from conflict-related incidents in the first four months of 2017, a record high for the period since the United Nations began documenting such cases. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan voiced alarm when five boys from one family were killed this month by an unexploded mortar round in Laghman. "The children were playing outside their home and found the mortar round, likely fired during fighting earlier in the day," said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto. "A family destroyed in seconds -- this horror is just one of too many incidents documented at the onset of this fighting season." (AFP)

Afghanistan: Roadside bomb kills 11 of family traveling to a wedding

The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan-based extremists and an organisation run by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed&#39;s JuD group as part of an effort to disrupt their leadership and fund-raising networks.

The sanctions have been slapped to disrupt the funding of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its front for charitable activities, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Dawa al-Qu&#39;ran (JDQ), the Islamic State, and ISIS Khorasan.

Khorasan is a historical region comprising a vast territory covering northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan and parts of India.

The sanctions in particular have been imposed against Hayatullah Ghulam Muhammad (Haji Hayatullah), Ali Muhammad Abu Turab, Inayat-ur Rahman, and a purported charity managed by Inayat-ur Rahman, the Welfare and Development Organisation of Jamaat-ud-Dawah for Quran and Sunnah (WDO).

&quot;These sanctions seek to disrupt the financial support networks of terrorists based in Pakistan who have provided support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and LeT for recruitment and funding of suicide bombers and other violent insurgent operations,&quot; said John Smith, Director of Treasury&#39;s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

&quot;The US continues to aggressively target extremists in Pakistan and the surrounding region, including charities and other front groups used as vehicles to facilitate illicit terrorist activities,&quot; Smith said.

&quot;The three individuals and (an) entity we designated have connections with terrorist groups that are a direct threat to the security of both the United States and Pakistan,&quot; he said.

&quot;The individuals are opportunistic and willing to work with extremist organisations, even those ideologically opposed to one another, to help them deepen their foothold in the region,&quot; Smith added.

OFAC said they designated Hayatullah for acting on behalf of JDQ and LeT, and for providing material and financial support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and ISIS Khorasan.

Abu Turab invited sanctions for providing material and financial support to JDQ. Last year, he facilitated movement of thousands of dollars from the Gulf to Pakistan.

Inayat-ur Rahman has been slapped with sanctions for acting for JDQ and the Taliban, and for providing material and financial support to LeT and the Taliban. A long-time leader of JDQ, he worked directly for Haji Hayatullah.

OFAC designated the WDO for being controlled by Inayat-ur Rahman. As of 2015, he was the director, chairman, and president of WDO.

(PTI) 
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The sanctions in particular have been imposed against Hayatullah Ghulam Muhammad (Haji Hayatullah), Ali Muhammad Abu Turab, Inayat-ur Rahman

The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan-based extremists and an organisation run by Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's JuD group as part of an effort to disrupt their leadership and fund-raising networks. The sanctions have been slapped to disrupt the funding of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its front for charitable activities, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Dawa al-Qu'ran (JDQ), the Islamic State, and ISIS Khorasan. Khorasan is a historical region comprising a vast territory covering northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan and parts of India. The sanctions in particular have been imposed against Hayatullah Ghulam Muhammad (Haji Hayatullah), Ali Muhammad Abu Turab, Inayat-ur Rahman, and a purported charity managed by Inayat-ur Rahman, the Welfare and Development Organisation of Jamaat-ud-Dawah for Quran and Sunnah (WDO). "These sanctions seek to disrupt the financial support networks of terrorists based in Pakistan who have provided support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and LeT for recruitment and funding of suicide bombers and other violent insurgent operations," said John Smith, Director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). "The US continues to aggressively target extremists in Pakistan and the surrounding region, including charities and other front groups used as vehicles to facilitate illicit terrorist activities," Smith said. "The three individuals and (an) entity we designated have connections with terrorist groups that are a direct threat to the security of both the United States and Pakistan," he said. "The individuals are opportunistic and willing to work with extremist organisations, even those ideologically opposed to one another, to help them deepen their foothold in the region," Smith added. OFAC said they designated Hayatullah for acting on behalf of JDQ and LeT, and for providing material and financial support to the Taliban, al-Qaeda, ISIS, and ISIS Khorasan. Abu Turab invited sanctions for providing material and financial support to JDQ. Last year, he facilitated movement of thousands of dollars from the Gulf to Pakistan. Inayat-ur Rahman has been slapped with sanctions for acting for JDQ and the Taliban, and for providing material and financial support to LeT and the Taliban. A long-time leader of JDQ, he worked directly for Haji Hayatullah. OFAC designated the WDO for being controlled by Inayat-ur Rahman. As of 2015, he was the director, chairman, and president of WDO. (PTI)

US sanctions Pakistan-based extremists for funding LeT, JuD, IS

The death toll among Afghan security forces has remained &quot;shockingly high&quot; this year, a United States-based watchdog said, as the US ponders about its future course of action in the war-stricken country.

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the watchdog, said 807 security personnel died and 1,328 wounded between January 1 and February 24.

The number is especially alarming because the level of violence subsides during the harsh winter months. Traditionally, the Taliban and other insurgency groups renew their attacks as spring approaches.

&quot;Afghanistan remains in the grip of a deadly war,&quot; the SIGAR report said.

&quot;Casualties suffered by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in the fight against the Taliban and other insurgents continue to be shockingly high,&quot; said SIGAR, which was set up to review the effectiveness of US support programmes.

The data were obtained from the US&nbsp;military and were based on operational reporting and may differ from official statistics provided by the Afghan government and ministries.

There has been little let-up in violence targeting Afghan forces since the period covered in the report.

On April 21 an attack by militants on an army base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif killed 135 soldiers, according to official figures, and twice that number by other accounts.

It is important to note that the Afghan security forces took over security operations from NATO in 2015.

In a report released in February, SIGAR said at least 6,785 Afghan soldiers and police had been killed in the first 10 months of 2016. Civilian casualties last year totalled 3,498 killed and 7,920 wounded, making it the deadliest year on record for civilians.

From January to March this year, 715 civilians were killed and 1,466 wounded.

The figures come as the US&nbsp;weighs its future strategy for Afghanistan, where it has already spent more than $115 billion in reconstruction efforts.

On the upside, the Afghan security forces have increased their sphere of influence in the country.

They now control 59.7 per cent of the country, up from 57.2 per cent,&nbsp;Al Jazeera reported.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

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A US watchdog said 807 security personnel died and 1,328 wounded between January 1 and February 24

The death toll among Afghan security forces has remained "shockingly high" this year, a United States-based watchdog said, as the US ponders about its future course of action in the war-stricken country. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the watchdog, said 807 security personnel died and 1,328 wounded between January 1 and February 24. The number is especially alarming because the level of violence subsides during the harsh winter months. Traditionally, the Taliban and other insurgency groups renew their attacks as spring approaches. "Afghanistan remains in the grip of a deadly war," the SIGAR report said. "Casualties suffered by the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in the fight against the Taliban and other insurgents continue to be shockingly high," said SIGAR, which was set up to review the effectiveness of US support programmes. The data were obtained from the US military and were based on operational reporting and may differ from official statistics provided by the Afghan government and ministries. There has been little let-up in violence targeting Afghan forces since the period covered in the report. On April 21 an attack by militants on an army base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif killed 135 soldiers, according to official figures, and twice that number by other accounts. It is important to note that the Afghan security forces took over security operations from NATO in 2015. In a report released in February, SIGAR said at least 6,785 Afghan soldiers and police had been killed in the first 10 months of 2016. Civilian casualties last year totalled 3,498 killed and 7,920 wounded, making it the deadliest year on record for civilians. From January to March this year, 715 civilians were killed and 1,466 wounded. The figures come as the US weighs its future strategy for Afghanistan, where it has already spent more than $115 billion in reconstruction efforts. On the upside, the Afghan security forces have increased their sphere of influence in the country. They now control 59.7 per cent of the country, up from 57.2 per cent, Al Jazeera reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Afghan security forces' death toll 'shockingly high' this year: Report

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of his defence minister and army chief of staff on Monday, after more than 140 soldiers were killed last week in the deadliest ever Taliban attack on a military base, the president`s office said.

&quot;Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect,&quot; the presidential palace announced in a post on its Twitter account.

Shah Hussain Murtazawi, acting spokesman for Ghani, told Reuters the resignations were because of Friday`s attack on a major army base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

In a serious security failure, as many as 10 Taliban fighters, dressed in Afghan army uniforms and driving military vehicles, made their way onto the base and opened fire on soldiers and new recruits eating a meal and leaving a mosque after Friday prayers, according to officials.

Multiple Afghan officials said the final death toll was likely to be even higher.

The attackers used rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, and suicide vests, they said.

Ghani declared Sunday a day of mourning, ordering flags to be flown at half-staff.

On Monday, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul to demand the resignation of top Afghan defence officials over the attack.

The attack, and resulting military leadership shake-up, come as the Afghan army prepares for what is expected to be a year of hard fighting against Taliban militants, who now control or contest more than 40 per cent of the country.

Nearly 9,000 US&nbsp;troops remain in Afghanistan, in addition to thousands of international coalition forces.

The administration of new US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is considering whether to make changes to the US&nbsp;mission training and advising Afghan forces, and conducting raids against militant groups such as Islamic State.

The German military, which has led much of the advising effort in northern Afghanistan, said in the wake of the attack it would continue to work with the Afghans.

(Reuters)

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The resignations come?as the army prepares for a year of hard fighting against the Taliban which now controls or contests more than 40 per cent of the country

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accepted the resignations of his defence minister and army chief of staff on Monday, after more than 140 soldiers were killed last week in the deadliest ever Taliban attack on a military base, the president`s office said. "Defence Minister Abdullah Habibi and Army Chief of Staff Qadam Shah Shahim stepped down with immediate effect," the presidential palace announced in a post on its Twitter account. Shah Hussain Murtazawi, acting spokesman for Ghani, told Reuters the resignations were because of Friday`s attack on a major army base in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. In a serious security failure, as many as 10 Taliban fighters, dressed in Afghan army uniforms and driving military vehicles, made their way onto the base and opened fire on soldiers and new recruits eating a meal and leaving a mosque after Friday prayers, according to officials. Multiple Afghan officials said the final death toll was likely to be even higher. The attackers used rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, and suicide vests, they said. Ghani declared Sunday a day of mourning, ordering flags to be flown at half-staff. On Monday, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace in Kabul to demand the resignation of top Afghan defence officials over the attack. The attack, and resulting military leadership shake-up, come as the Afghan army prepares for what is expected to be a year of hard fighting against Taliban militants, who now control or contest more than 40 per cent of the country. Nearly 9,000 US troops remain in Afghanistan, in addition to thousands of international coalition forces. The administration of new US President Donald Trump is considering whether to make changes to the US mission training and advising Afghan forces, and conducting raids against militant groups such as Islamic State. The German military, which has led much of the advising effort in northern Afghanistan, said in the wake of the attack it would continue to work with the Afghans. (Reuters)

Afghan defence minister, Army chief resign over Taliban attack on military base

Taliban militants wearing Afghan army uniforms killed at least 50 soldiers in a gun and suicide attack at a base in northern Afghanistan, the US military said, as the extremists ramp up their campaign against beleaguered government forces.

Two of the attackers blew themselves up and seven were killed in the assault near Mazar-i-Sharif city on Friday which lasted several hours and targeted soldiers at a mosque and dining facility, the Afghan defence ministry said.&nbsp;

One of the assailants was detained.&nbsp;

A US military spokesman said &quot;more than 50&quot; Afghan soldiers were killed in the attack claimed by the Taliban, while Afghan officials put the death toll at eight with 11 wounded.&nbsp;

General John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, praised Afghan commandos for bringing the &quot;atrocity to an end&quot;.

The latest deadly attack against an Afghan military site underscores rising insecurity in the war-torn country as it braces for an intense fighting season in the spring.

Afghan security forces, beset by killings, desertions and non-existent &quot;ghost soldiers&quot; on the payroll, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. 
According to US watchdog SIGAR, casualties among Afghan security forces soared by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800 soldiers and police killed.

Nicholson in February told the US Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington that he needed &quot;a few thousand&quot; more troops to help train and assist the Afghan forces.

The US has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies assisting a much larger Afghan force in the war against the Taliban and other Islamist militants.Several military helicopters hovered over the base during Friday`s attack and ambulances later took away the bodies of the victims, an AFP correspondent said.&nbsp;

The facility in Balkh province is home to the Afghan army`s 209th Corps.&nbsp;

The last major attack against a military site was in early March when gunmen disguised as doctors stormed the Sardar Daud Khan hospital -- the country`s largest military hospital -- in Kabul, killing dozens.

Afghan officials put the death toll at 50, but security sources and survivors told AFP more than 100 were killed in the brazen and savage attack.

The Islamic State group claimed it was behind the operation -- hours after the more powerful Taliban denied responsibility for the raid.&nbsp;

That assault came a week after 16 people were killed in simultaneous Taliban suicide assaults on two security compounds in the capital.

More than a third of Afghanistan is outside government control and many regions are fiercely contested by various insurgent groups, as Kabul`s repeated bids to launch peace negotiations with the Taliban have failed.

Earlier this month the US military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State group hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, killing nearly a hundred militants.

The attack triggered global shockwaves, with some condemning the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat as the resurgent Taliban. 
 
(AFP) 
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The attack occurred near a mosque on the military base near Mazar-i-Sharif

Taliban militants wearing Afghan army uniforms killed at least 50 soldiers in a gun and suicide attack at a base in northern Afghanistan, the US military said, as the extremists ramp up their campaign against beleaguered government forces. Two of the attackers blew themselves up and seven were killed in the assault near Mazar-i-Sharif city on Friday which lasted several hours and targeted soldiers at a mosque and dining facility, the Afghan defence ministry said. One of the assailants was detained. A US military spokesman said "more than 50" Afghan soldiers were killed in the attack claimed by the Taliban, while Afghan officials put the death toll at eight with 11 wounded. General John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan, praised Afghan commandos for bringing the "atrocity to an end". The latest deadly attack against an Afghan military site underscores rising insecurity in the war-torn country as it braces for an intense fighting season in the spring. Afghan security forces, beset by killings, desertions and non-existent "ghost soldiers" on the payroll, have been struggling to beat back insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014. According to US watchdog SIGAR, casualties among Afghan security forces soared by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800 soldiers and police killed. Nicholson in February told the US Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington that he needed "a few thousand" more troops to help train and assist the Afghan forces. The US has around 8,400 troops in the country with about another 5,000 from NATO allies assisting a much larger Afghan force in the war against the Taliban and other Islamist militants.Several military helicopters hovered over the base during Friday`s attack and ambulances later took away the bodies of the victims, an AFP correspondent said. The facility in Balkh province is home to the Afghan army`s 209th Corps. The last major attack against a military site was in early March when gunmen disguised as doctors stormed the Sardar Daud Khan hospital -- the country`s largest military hospital -- in Kabul, killing dozens. Afghan officials put the death toll at 50, but security sources and survivors told AFP more than 100 were killed in the brazen and savage attack. The Islamic State group claimed it was behind the operation -- hours after the more powerful Taliban denied responsibility for the raid. That assault came a week after 16 people were killed in simultaneous Taliban suicide assaults on two security compounds in the capital. More than a third of Afghanistan is outside government control and many regions are fiercely contested by various insurgent groups, as Kabul`s repeated bids to launch peace negotiations with the Taliban have failed. Earlier this month the US military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State group hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, killing nearly a hundred militants. The attack triggered global shockwaves, with some condemning the use of Afghanistan as what they called a testing ground for the weapon, and against a militant group that is not considered as big a threat as the resurgent Taliban. (AFP)

Taliban storm military camp near Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan, more than 50 killed

Afghanistan plans to double the number of elite special forces from 17,000 troops, officials said, part of a long-term strategy to bolster units stretched and exhausted by persistent attacks from Taliban insurgents and other Islamist militants.

Special forces, who represent a small fraction of the 300,000-strong armed forces, have been carrying out nearly 70 per cent of the army&#39;s offensive operations across the country, underlining Afghanistan&#39;s heavy reliance on them.

While regular forces, including police, are deployed largely to defend positions, special forces are taking the battle to militants from Kunduz in the north to Helmand in the south, sometimes working in tandem with US counterparts.

&quot;Our commando forces have to be strengthened and have to be better equipped,&quot; Defence Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said.

Waziri declined to give exact numbers, saying only that the special operations division would be increased to the level of an army corps.

But three Afghan and Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that under current plans, special forces would double and the government was talking to foreign donors about contributing through funding and other assistance.

Recruitment in recent months has focussed on replacing special forces troops lost during last year&#39;s fighting, meaning the drive to &quot;substantially&quot; increase numbers would take longer, said NATO coalition spokesman Captain Bill Salvin.

&quot;It&#39;s going to take several years to grow to the level that (Afghan President Ashraf) Ghani currently envisions,&quot; Salvin said.

Recruitment and training was already underway for more commandos, as well as special forces support units like medical care, intelligence, logistics and communications, he added.

Trump&#39;s call

On exercises at the Afghan army&#39;s special operations training base just outside Kabul, soldiers were confident that they could handle the workload.

&quot;There has been an increase in our operations, but we will keep up our efforts,&quot; said Fawad Kamal, a special forces commander. &quot;There hasn&#39;t been any interruption.&quot;

When they reach the battlefield, newly trained troops will likely be conducting offensive operations, from tracking militant cells to clearing towns seized by insurgents.

&quot;There is a huge need for the number of commandos and special forces to increase in the country,&quot; said Mohammed Arif, a new commando recruit. &quot;As long as they are well equipped, they can defend the country very well.&quot;

Afghanistan&#39;s international allies regularly praise the performance of the special forces, but there is also concern that the workload places them under too much strain.

Last year, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, discussed plans to strengthen and regenerate the force over the winter months.

At the special forces base, NATO trainers work alongside Afghan instructors, teaching a range of courses from basic shooting and room clearance for new commandos, to advanced leadership courses for the more experienced.

The NATO instructors are part of the Resolute Support mission involving some 13,000 international troops, more than half of them Americans, who train special and regular forces and sometimes advise Afghan troops on the battlefield.

A smaller US&nbsp;counter-terrorism unit is engaged in fighting radical networks including al Qaeda and Islamic State, and often works closely with elite Afghan units in the field.

Nicholson said last month that thousands more advisers would be needed to help prepare Afghan forces to break the &quot;stalemate&quot; in the 15-year conflict, a factor US&nbsp;President Donald Trump must consider when he decides his strategy for Afghanistan.

More than two years after the departure of most international troops, Afghan forces control just 57 per cent of the country, compared with 72 per cent a year ago, according to SIGAR, a Congressional oversight body.

&quot;A lot was asked of them&quot;

The outgoing US&nbsp;military spokesman in Kabul, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, said Afghan special forces were &quot;the absolute best in this region&quot;. 
&quot;But by the end of the year they were stretched. An awful lot was asked of them.&quot;

Cleveland said any move to boost commando numbers would be factored into coalition deliberations over the future of the international mission.

It peaked at some 100,000 soldiers in 2011, but fell sharply with the intention of eventually handing over control to local forces. A stubborn enemy, lack of resources and high casualty rates among Afghan troops have seen that objective pushed back.

&quot;We&#39;ll adjust as we see fit,&quot; Cleveland said. &quot;As they (special forces) go into the spring fighting, they are absolutely going to be stronger than where they were in the fall.&quot;

NATO is also trying to help the conventional army corps become more effective and relieve pressure on elite units, according to Cleveland

.&quot;The real goal is to get the conventional corps up to the same level of proficiency at their job as the special forces are at their jobs.

&quot;We want these corps to be able to conduct their operations without having to misuse, if you will, the special operations forces.&quot;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Special forces have been carrying out nearly 70 per cent of the army's offensive operations across the country, underlining Afghanistan's heavy reliance on them

Afghanistan plans to double the number of elite special forces from 17,000 troops, officials said, part of a long-term strategy to bolster units stretched and exhausted by persistent attacks from Taliban insurgents and other Islamist militants. Special forces, who represent a small fraction of the 300,000-strong armed forces, have been carrying out nearly 70 per cent of the army's offensive operations across the country, underlining Afghanistan's heavy reliance on them. While regular forces, including police, are deployed largely to defend positions, special forces are taking the battle to militants from Kunduz in the north to Helmand in the south, sometimes working in tandem with US counterparts. "Our commando forces have to be strengthened and have to be better equipped," Defence Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. Waziri declined to give exact numbers, saying only that the special operations division would be increased to the level of an army corps. But three Afghan and Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that under current plans, special forces would double and the government was talking to foreign donors about contributing through funding and other assistance. Recruitment in recent months has focussed on replacing special forces troops lost during last year's fighting, meaning the drive to "substantially" increase numbers would take longer, said NATO coalition spokesman Captain Bill Salvin. "It's going to take several years to grow to the level that (Afghan President Ashraf) Ghani currently envisions," Salvin said. Recruitment and training was already underway for more commandos, as well as special forces support units like medical care, intelligence, logistics and communications, he added. Trump's call On exercises at the Afghan army's special operations training base just outside Kabul, soldiers were confident that they could handle the workload. "There has been an increase in our operations, but we will keep up our efforts," said Fawad Kamal, a special forces commander. "There hasn't been any interruption." When they reach the battlefield, newly trained troops will likely be conducting offensive operations, from tracking militant cells to clearing towns seized by insurgents. "There is a huge need for the number of commandos and special forces to increase in the country," said Mohammed Arif, a new commando recruit. "As long as they are well equipped, they can defend the country very well." Afghanistan's international allies regularly praise the performance of the special forces, but there is also concern that the workload places them under too much strain. Last year, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, discussed plans to strengthen and regenerate the force over the winter months. At the special forces base, NATO trainers work alongside Afghan instructors, teaching a range of courses from basic shooting and room clearance for new commandos, to advanced leadership courses for the more experienced. The NATO instructors are part of the Resolute Support mission involving some 13,000 international troops, more than half of them Americans, who train special and regular forces and sometimes advise Afghan troops on the battlefield. A smaller US counter-terrorism unit is engaged in fighting radical networks including al Qaeda and Islamic State, and often works closely with elite Afghan units in the field. Nicholson said last month that thousands more advisers would be needed to help prepare Afghan forces to break the "stalemate" in the 15-year conflict, a factor US President Donald Trump must consider when he decides his strategy for Afghanistan. More than two years after the departure of most international troops, Afghan forces control just 57 per cent of the country, compared with 72 per cent a year ago, according to SIGAR, a Congressional oversight body. "A lot was asked of them" The outgoing US military spokesman in Kabul, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, said Afghan special forces were "the absolute best in this region". "But by the end of the year they were stretched. An awful lot was asked of them." Cleveland said any move to boost commando numbers would be factored into coalition deliberations over the future of the international mission. It peaked at some 100,000 soldiers in 2011, but fell sharply with the intention of eventually handing over control to local forces. A stubborn enemy, lack of resources and high casualty rates among Afghan troops have seen that objective pushed back. "We'll adjust as we see fit," Cleveland said. "As they (special forces) go into the spring fighting, they are absolutely going to be stronger than where they were in the fall." NATO is also trying to help the conventional army corps become more effective and relieve pressure on elite units, according to Cleveland ."The real goal is to get the conventional corps up to the same level of proficiency at their job as the special forces are at their jobs. "We want these corps to be able to conduct their operations without having to misuse, if you will, the special operations forces." (Reuters)

Afghanistan plans to double special forces as threats grow

The Taliban has captured a key district in Helmand province, which was once considered a deadly battlefield for the British and the US&nbsp;troops in Afghanistan, as reported by The Guardian.

The fall of Sangin, which has been seen as a key test of whether Afghan security forces can hold off advancing Taliban fighters, came amid the insurgents&#39; year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland.

The district&#39;s police chief, Mohammad Rasoul, said the Taliban overran Sangin early on Thursday morning and that the district headquarters were poorly protected.

Rasoul, however, added that Afghan security forces were amassing nearby for a full-scale counterattack in an attempt to retake Sangin, and the were preparing their reinforcements to recapture the district.

Of Britain&#39;s more than 400 military deaths in Afghanistan, 104 soldiers have been killed in Sangin.

Nato&#39;s spokesman, William Salvin, said Afghan troops remained in Sangin, but had relocated outside the district centre because of the extensive damage to it by the Taliban.

Sangin is one of the biggest opium markets in Afghanistan. More than 4,800 metric tonnes of the drug was produced countrywide in 2016.

(ANI)

Sangin was an acid test for Afghan security forces to show they can stave off advancing Taliban fighters

The Taliban has captured a key district in Helmand province, which was once considered a deadly battlefield for the British and the US troops in Afghanistan, as reported by The Guardian. The fall of Sangin, which has been seen as a key test of whether Afghan security forces can hold off advancing Taliban fighters, came amid the insurgents' year-long push to expand their footprint in the Taliban heartland. The district's police chief, Mohammad Rasoul, said the Taliban overran Sangin early on Thursday morning and that the district headquarters were poorly protected. Rasoul, however, added that Afghan security forces were amassing nearby for a full-scale counterattack in an attempt to retake Sangin, and the were preparing their reinforcements to recapture the district. Of Britain's more than 400 military deaths in Afghanistan, 104 soldiers have been killed in Sangin. Nato's spokesman, William Salvin, said Afghan troops remained in Sangin, but had relocated outside the district centre because of the extensive damage to it by the Taliban. Sangin is one of the biggest opium markets in Afghanistan. More than 4,800 metric tonnes of the drug was produced countrywide in 2016. (ANI)

Afghanistan: Taliban captures key Helmand district

Smokey-eyed Zulala Hashemi, standing tall in four-inch gold heels, wants to sing for women.

The 18-year-old has become the first girl to reach the final of popular television music talent show Afghan Star.

Hashemi, a native of eastern Jalalabad, a stronghold of Taliban and Islamic State insurgents, will face off against the first rapper of the competition in Monday&#39;s final.

Their clash will be one of the most trailblazing in the popular show&#39;s 12-year history.

Quietly rooting for Zulala is Aryana Saeed, one of the judges and an indefatigable women&#39;s rights activist.&nbsp;

Saeed, who was born in Kabul but usually lives in London, is likened widely to American reality star Kim Kardashian and is despised by religious conservatives for her figure-hugging clothes.

&nbsp;

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Aryana Sayeed (L) poses with Zulala Hashemi. (AFP)
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Zulala and Saeed hug in a studio at local television station Tolo, their eyelashes fluttering.

&quot;I have never hidden my support as women have little chance in this country,&quot; Saeed told AFP. &quot;For the first time people have voted for a girl,&nbsp;and one who comes from a very conservative province, a land of Islamic State zealots.&quot;

Afghan Star, Tolo&#39;s adaptation of &quot;American Idol&quot;, has been a huge hit in conservative Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime that banned music and cinema.&nbsp;

But since its launch in 2005, it has also seen a backlash from mullahs for the way it features unveiled women singing and dancing.

A woman came in third place in 2008, and since then no female singer has gone beyond 7th or 8th position, said Omid Nezami, the show&#39;s presenter and a former contestant.

Aside from the backing of the public, Zulala can count on support from her mother Merem Hashemi, a smiling woman who designed and hand-stitched all her daughter&#39;s on-stage costumes.

&quot;Even if I do not win, I will be a singer,&quot; says Zulala in her deep voice, determination in her almond-shaped eyes.

&quot;I wear traditional dresses but my songs follow the path of Aryana. I want to convey a message to Afghan women: they must claim their rights and explore their talents,&quot; she added.

Massood Sanjer, the head of Tolo TV, said it was nothing short of revolutionary that a girl from conservative Jalalabad had reached the finals.

&quot;This is exactly what this country needs right now,&quot; he enthused, alluding to growing insecurity.&nbsp;

Tolo&#39;s maze of production sets lie behind a thick steel door, manned by armed guards and barricaded against car bombs and gunfire. The TV station has stopped outdoor recordings owing to security concerns.

The Afghan capital is regularly hit with insurgent gun and bomb attacks. Earlier this month, a group of gunmen stormed Afghanistan&#39;s largest military hospital in Kabul, killing more than 100 people, according to multiple surviving staff.

Competing against Zulala is Sayed Jamal Mubarez, a barber and a young rapper from northern Mazar-i-Sharif city.

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Zulala Hashemi (R) stands alongside competitor Sayed Jamal Mubarez as they perform. (AFP)
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Dressed in baggy pants, a cap and red sneakers, Mubarez shut down his hair salon for three months to participate in the show, borrowing $8 from his neighbours for the bus ride to Kabul.

At 23, he is the breadwinner of his family and is keenly eyeing the Afghan Star prize, a motorcycle and a trip to Kazakhstan.

&quot;Jamal has been in the lead since the beginning,&quot; said Omid.

However, his chances are weak if the voting is along ethnic lines in the deeply divided country.

Zulala is from the dominant Pashtun majority, whereas Mubarez is a Hazara, a long-persecuted minority.

&quot;Every show I encourage the audience to vote for talent, not according to ethnicity,&quot; Omid said.

In the semi-finals, Aryana Saeed took to the stage, intoning a new song dedicated to Farkhunda and Rukshana , &nbsp;two Afghan women who were beaten to death and became a symbol of endemic violence against women.

&quot;Your status is that of half a man/ But you are punished twice as much (...) Arise and shout / Raise your sleeves / Claim your rights / You can do it!&quot;

The final of the show will be live on Monday, on the eve of the Afghan New Year.

(AFP)

This music talent show's production sets lie behind a thick steel door, manned by armed guards and barricaded against car bombs

Smokey-eyed Zulala Hashemi, standing tall in four-inch gold heels, wants to sing for women. The 18-year-old has become the first girl to reach the final of popular television music talent show Afghan Star. Hashemi, a native of eastern Jalalabad, a stronghold of Taliban and Islamic State insurgents, will face off against the first rapper of the competition in Monday's final. Their clash will be one of the most trailblazing in the popular show's 12-year history. Quietly rooting for Zulala is Aryana Saeed, one of the judges and an indefatigable women's rights activist. Saeed, who was born in Kabul but usually lives in London, is likened widely to American reality star Kim Kardashian and is despised by religious conservatives for her figure-hugging clothes. Aryana Sayeed (L) poses with Zulala Hashemi. (AFP) × Zulala and Saeed hug in a studio at local television station Tolo, their eyelashes fluttering. "I have never hidden my support as women have little chance in this country," Saeed told AFP. "For the first time people have voted for a girl, and one who comes from a very conservative province, a land of Islamic State zealots." Afghan Star, Tolo's adaptation of "American Idol", has been a huge hit in conservative Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime that banned music and cinema. But since its launch in 2005, it has also seen a backlash from mullahs for the way it features unveiled women singing and dancing. A woman came in third place in 2008, and since then no female singer has gone beyond 7th or 8th position, said Omid Nezami, the show's presenter and a former contestant. Aside from the backing of the public, Zulala can count on support from her mother Merem Hashemi, a smiling woman who designed and hand-stitched all her daughter's on-stage costumes. "Even if I do not win, I will be a singer," says Zulala in her deep voice, determination in her almond-shaped eyes. "I wear traditional dresses but my songs follow the path of Aryana. I want to convey a message to Afghan women: they must claim their rights and explore their talents," she added. Massood Sanjer, the head of Tolo TV, said it was nothing short of revolutionary that a girl from conservative Jalalabad had reached the finals. "This is exactly what this country needs right now," he enthused, alluding to growing insecurity. Tolo's maze of production sets lie behind a thick steel door, manned by armed guards and barricaded against car bombs and gunfire. The TV station has stopped outdoor recordings owing to security concerns. The Afghan capital is regularly hit with insurgent gun and bomb attacks. Earlier this month, a group of gunmen stormed Afghanistan's largest military hospital in Kabul, killing more than 100 people, according to multiple surviving staff. Competing against Zulala is Sayed Jamal Mubarez, a barber and a young rapper from northern Mazar-i-Sharif city. Zulala Hashemi (R) stands alongside competitor Sayed Jamal Mubarez as they perform. (AFP) × Dressed in baggy pants, a cap and red sneakers, Mubarez shut down his hair salon for three months to participate in the show, borrowing $8 from his neighbours for the bus ride to Kabul. At 23, he is the breadwinner of his family and is keenly eyeing the Afghan Star prize, a motorcycle and a trip to Kazakhstan. "Jamal has been in the lead since the beginning," said Omid. However, his chances are weak if the voting is along ethnic lines in the deeply divided country. Zulala is from the dominant Pashtun majority, whereas Mubarez is a Hazara, a long-persecuted minority. "Every show I encourage the audience to vote for talent, not according to ethnicity," Omid said. In the semi-finals, Aryana Saeed took to the stage, intoning a new song dedicated to Farkhunda and Rukshana , two Afghan women who were beaten to death and became a symbol of endemic violence against women. "Your status is that of half a man/ But you are punished twice as much (...) Arise and shout / Raise your sleeves / Claim your rights / You can do it!" The final of the show will be live on Monday, on the eve of the Afghan New Year. (AFP)

Afghan star: Rap, stilettos and a musical revolution in war-torn Afghanistan

A suicide car bomb detonated near an army base in the eastern Afghan province of Khost on Friday, killing one soldier and wounding several before the army repelled an attack on the base by four gunmen, the district chief said.

The blast, 50 metres&nbsp;from the base, was heard several miles away and damaged several shops, homes and a school, Akbar Zadran, the chief of Sabari district, told Reuters.

Four gunmen attacked the base but were killed after an hour-long gun battle, Zadran said.

In a statement, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had caused heavy casualties. The Islamist movement often exaggerates casualties caused by its operations.&nbsp;

The attack follows an assault on a military air base in Khost province last week, and comes just ahead of the normal start of the spring fighting season, when Taliban insurgents and the Afghan army step up operations.

The Afghan government controls less than 60 per cent of the country after territorial gains by the insurgents since NATO-led forces ended their combat operations at the end of 2014.

US&nbsp;and Afghan officials have warned about increased fighting this year as the Taliban look to widen their influence. 
The Taliban are seeking to expel foreign troops, defeat the US-backed government and reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster.

The head of US&nbsp;Central Command, General Joseph Votel, this month asked for more American troops to join the roughly 8,400 already stationed in Afghanistan to break the stalemate.

(Reuters)

One soldier was killed and several wounded

A suicide car bomb detonated near an army base in the eastern Afghan province of Khost on Friday, killing one soldier and wounding several before the army repelled an attack on the base by four gunmen, the district chief said. The blast, 50 metres from the base, was heard several miles away and damaged several shops, homes and a school, Akbar Zadran, the chief of Sabari district, told Reuters. Four gunmen attacked the base but were killed after an hour-long gun battle, Zadran said. In a statement, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said it had caused heavy casualties. The Islamist movement often exaggerates casualties caused by its operations. The attack follows an assault on a military air base in Khost province last week, and comes just ahead of the normal start of the spring fighting season, when Taliban insurgents and the Afghan army step up operations. The Afghan government controls less than 60 per cent of the country after territorial gains by the insurgents since NATO-led forces ended their combat operations at the end of 2014. US and Afghan officials have warned about increased fighting this year as the Taliban look to widen their influence. The Taliban are seeking to expel foreign troops, defeat the US-backed government and reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster. The head of US Central Command, General Joseph Votel, this month asked for more American troops to join the roughly 8,400 already stationed in Afghanistan to break the stalemate. (Reuters)

Taliban car bomb hits army base in eastern Afghanistan

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