Category: Afghanistan

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Multiple blasts and gunfire rock Kabul

The incident took place around 8 pm and videos showed large plumes of smoke billowing out from the scene minutes after the blast…reports Asian Lite News

Multiple explosions and sporadic gunfire were heard in the city Kabul, near the residence of the acting Afghanistan Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammad in Kabul late on Tuesday.

“We heard sporadic gunfire. Then there was a loud siren. About five minutes later there was a second explosion. And then a third…” CNN said.

“Gunfire and explosions are still heard near the acting defense minister’s house in downtown Kabul where an initial blast was heard around 8 pm (local time),” TOLO News also said.

The incident took place around 8 pm and videos showed large plumes of smoke billowing out from the scene minutes after the blast, TOLO News reported.

Shortly after the explosions scores of people were seen taking to the streets in Jalalabad chanting religious slogans in support of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

Afghanistan

“Nangarhar residents took to the streets in Jalalabad tonight chanting Allahu Akbar in support of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces,” it tweeted.

This came amid heavy clashes between Afghanistan forces and the Taliban in several Afghan cities. Aghan forces battled the Taliban in Lashkargah as the fighting intensified in the city in southern Helmand province and the frontline was in District 1 where the US conducted an airstrike on Monday morning.

Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country’s northeastern province.

Nationwide, the Taliban controls 223 districts, with 116 contested and the government holding 68, according to the Long War Journal, whose calculations tally with CNN’s estimates. It says 17 of 34 provincial capitals are directly threatened by the Taliban.

An Afghan special force member attends a military operation against Taliban fighters in Kandak Anayat village of Kunduz city, Afghanistan, July 23, 2021. (Photo by Ajmal Kakar/Xinhua)

Airstrikes kill 21 militants

In an airstrike by Afghan Air Force (AAF) on Tuesday at least 21 Taliban terrorists were killed and 27 others were wounded in Jowzjan province.

“21 Taliban terrorists were killed and 27 others were wounded in airstrikes conducted by AAF at the outskirts of #Sheberghan city, Jowzjan provincial center, late afternoon today. Also, 10 motorbikes, a large amount of their weapons, amos & equipment were destroyed,” Ministry of Defense, Afghanistan tweeted.

These airstrikes come as Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against Afghan forces and civilians with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.

Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country’s northeastern province.

Nationwide, the Taliban controls 223 districts, with 116 contested and the government holding 68, according to the Long War Journal, whose calculations tally with CNN’s estimates. It says 17 of 34 provincial capitals are directly threatened by the Taliban. (ANI)

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Public anger against Taliban grows in Afghanistan

Armed Afghan women take to the streets against Taliban.(Photo courtesy Facebook)

Men, women, and minors of the Herat city chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the greatest) to welcome Afghan National Defense and Security Force and oppose Taliban…reports Asian Lite News

As the conflict between Afghan security forces and the Taliban in Herat entered its sixth day, the residents of the city chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ (Allah is the greatest) to express their support to Afghan government forces and oppose the militant group, according to media reports.

The chanting by men, women, and minors was unprecedented in 20 years and was welcomed by ordinary Afghan people and officials.

After the Taliban toppled all but one district including the provincial capital in western Herat province bordering Iran, the fighters stormed the city and launched an offensive against the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).

July 30 was the worst in terms of the severity of the conflict. The Taliban toppled two Police Districts in the city and had besieged the airport.

An Afghan special force member attends a military operation against Taliban fighters

The ANDSF backed by US army airstrikes drove the Taliban from the city and recaptured the Guzara district of the province.

The Ministry of Defence said that 41 Taliban fighters were killed and 32 more wounded as a result of land and air operations in Herat province Monday night.

Herat along with Lashkar Gah city of Helmand province, Taloqan of Takhar province, and Kandahar city are among the provincial capitals which have been witnessing heavy conflicts between the ANDSF and the Taliban in the past two weeks.

ALSO READ: US, UK embassies in Afghanistan accuse Taliban of war crimes
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Taliban accused of committing war crimes

Afghan security forces inspect the site of a car bombing in Kandahar city, capital of Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan

According to AIHRC findings, after taking over Spin Boldak district, the Taliban chased and identified past and present government officials and killed these people who had no combat role in the conflict…reports Sanjeev Sharma

The Taliban, in violation of international humanitarian law, committed retaliatory killings of civilians and looted properties, including that of former and current government officials, in Kandahar province’s Spin Boldak district.

Following the fall of the district to the Taliban and the publication of reports of the killing of civilians by the group, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) despite serious challenges in the area investigated and documented the incidents and, in order to obtain reliable and accurate information, while referring to reliable local sources, it also interviewed a number of victims’ families and witnesses.

The findings by the Commission show that the Taliban has retaliated against the past and present government officials and residents who welcomed security forces during the recapture of Spin Boldak district.

They also looted properties belonging to a number of locals, including the homes of former and current government officials.

However, the Commission has not yet obtained credible information confirming a purely ethnic motive in the killings.

The Taliban took over Spin Boldak on July 14. A few days later, security and defence forces started a military operation to retake the district, which was welcomed by some of the local residents.

A number of Spin Boldak district residents ran out of their homes to welcome the security forces, although they did not actively participate in the recapturing operation.

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The security forces were however, unable to recapture the Spin Boldak district after fighting the Taliban.

The Taliban then began sweeping many villages adjacent to the district market, looking for former and current civil servants and identifying government supporters. The Taliban expelled them from their homes and killed them; as some of those bodies have been identified so far.

Furthermore, personal motives and earlier confrontations seem to have been involved in the Taliban’s killing of local civilians.

According to reliable local sources, an influential ethnic leader was killed during General Abdul Raziq’s tenure as Kandahar provincial police chief, along with a few other people whose families eventually moved to Pakistan and joined the Taliban.

After the fall of Spin Boldak district, the brother of this influential ethnic leader introduced people to the Taliban whom he considered the supporters of General Raziq and the government in order to seek revenge.

Meanwhile, according to the findings of the Commission after the Taliban took over the Spin Boldak district, they plundered the property of several people in the area.

International humanitarian law provides important protection to people who are not directly involved in the conflict, in that their lives, moral and physical integrity are safeguarded, and they should be treated humanely under all circumstances and without discrimination.

Additionally, according to these principles, all individuals have the right to judicial guarantees, and no one should be held liable for an act he did not commit.

Afghanistan

According to AIHRC findings, after taking over Spin Boldak district, the Taliban chased and identified past and present government officials and killed these people who had no combat role in the conflict.

Since July 16, the Commission has identified 40 people killed in the district by the Taliban.

There were allegations of higher numbers of civilians killed and injured by the Taliban in this manner in Spin Boldak that we have not been able to fully verify yet.

The killing of these individuals by the Taliban in the district is a clear violation of international humanitarian law and can amount to war crimes.

While the Taliban leadership has officially stated that its affiliated militants will not harm civilians or civilian facilities; but this and other similar incidents show that contrary to what they proclaim, the group has no practical commitment to the principles of international human rights and humanitarian law.

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US, UK embassies in Afghanistan accuse Taliban of war crimes

Taliban Pic credits ANI

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that Afghanistan would become a ‘pariah state’ if any future Taliban rule in Afghanistan resulted in atrocities against civilians….reports Asian Lite News

The US and British embassies in Kabul said on Monday the insurgent Taliban may have committed war crimes in southern Afghanistan by carrying out revenge murders of civilians, a charge denied by the insurgents.

Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban negotiating team member based in Doha, told Reuters that tweets containing the accusations were “baseless reports.”

The US Embassy in the capital Kabul tweeted a statement accusing the Taliban of killing dozens of civilians in the area of Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province. The statement was also tweeted by the British embassy.

“These murders could constitute war crimes; they must be investigated & those Taliban fighters or commanders responsible held accountable,” the US Embassy tweeted.

In a second tweet, it said: “The Taliban’s leadership must be held responsible for the crimes of their fighters. If you cannot control your fighters now, you have no business in governance later.”

The tweets, accompanied by calls for a cease-fire, stepped up the United States’ public criticism of the group as US troops withdraw and the Taliban goes on the offensive.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that Afghanistan would become a ‘pariah state’ if any future Taliban rule in Afghanistan resulted in atrocities against civilians.

The insurgents gained control last month of the strategic area of Spin Boldak, which lies at a border and trade crossing with Pakistan, and heavy fighting has taken place since as Afghan forces try to recapture the area.

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Afghan team in Pakistan to probe abduction of its envoy’s daughter

Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil’s 27-year-old daughter Silsila Alikhil was allegedly abducted briefly and tortured by unidentified persons last month….reports Asian Lite News

A team from Afghanistan has arrived in Pakistan to investigate the abduction of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter, the country’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Monday.

“The Afghan team has arrived for investigation of the Afghan ambassador’s daughter’s case. I have instructed the inspector general of police to hand over the (investigation results) based on facts and the truth to the Afghan investigation committee,” the minister said at a press conference in Islamabad.

Ambassador Najibullah Alikhil’s 27-year-old daughter Silsila Alikhil was allegedly abducted briefly and tortured by unidentified persons last month while returning from a bakery in Blue Area before being dropped alongside a road with her hands and feet tied and a note which read “your turn is next” and “communist”, reported Dawn.

Rashid said that the police had completed an investigation into the matter and were fully prepared to answer any questions of the Afghan team.

The interior minister also commented on the murder case of Noor Mukadam, the daughter of a former Pakistani diplomat and said he had given his utmost effort and collected witnesses in the cases and gotten forensic investigation carried out.

(File Photo: IANS)

“Now I can’t get him (Noor’s killer) killed in a police encounter because the social media is so pervasive […] the decision is of the courts, the testimonies are complete and I hope he will be given the death sentence.” reported Dawn further.

Earlier, the interior minister had said that the investigation conducted by the Pakistan authorities had found no evidence of abduction in the Afghan ambassador’s daughter’s abduction.

“According to our investigation, the incident involving the daughter of the Afghan ambassador is not a case of kidnapping,” Geo News quoted the interior minister as saying.

Terming the abduction as a “very shocking incident” India last week said Pakistan’s denial of the kidnapping is “stooping to a new low even by its standards.”

At a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said “This is, of course, a very shocking incident, it involves two other countries Afghanistan and Pakistan and usually we won’t comment on it, however since the interior minister of Pakistan has dragged India into it I would like to say that even by their standards Pakistan denial of the victim account is stooping to a new low.”

The abduction has deteriorated already-strained relations of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Afghan government has recalled its top envoy and diplomats following the abduction. (ANI)

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Ghani’s time has run out: Taliban

A tweet by Mujahid said that his (Ghani’s) time is over and the announcement of warfare will not survive him…reports Asian lite News

Taliban said on Monday that Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghanis “time has run out”.

Reacting to Ghani’s remark that the ongoing war is an external intrigue imposed on the people of Afghanistan, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid accused Ghani of lying and spreading false information.

A tweet by Mujahid said that his (Ghani’s) time is over and the announcement of warfare will not survive him.

“Speech by @ashrafghani is nonsense, an attempt to control his fears & dire situation. Nation has decided to pursue & bring national traitors to justice. Declarations of war, accusations & lies cannot prolong Ghani’s life, his time has run out, God willing,” Mujahid said.

Ghani during his speech in an exclusive gathering of the National Council – Parliament and Senate — said that the ongoing war is an external intrigue imposed on the people of Afghanistan and security forces are capable of repelling it.

The Afghan President said that he is predicting both opportunities and dangers but reiterated that the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) have the ability to be solidified and return to the desired stance in the upcoming six months, media reports said.

Ghani also claimed to have sacrificed too much for durable and just peace in Afghanistan besides taking unprecedented decisions for the cause.

He praised the families which have lost their loved ones in fighting the Taliban and expressed pride of being the commander-in-chief of ANDSF in such a historic period.

Taliban warn Turkey

The Taliban called on Turkey’s military presence at Kabul airport “reprehensible” and warned of dire “consequences” after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last month that his nation’s troops would continue to secure the airport in Afghanistan.

Jonathan Gorvett, writing in Asia Times said that as the fighting on the ground in Afghanistan continues, Turkey’s troops at the airport is likely to find themselves in the midst of great uncertainty.

The Taliban, which has recently accelerated its military campaign across the war-torn country, on July 13 described any further Turkish military presence as “reprehensible” and warned of dire “consequences.”

Ankara has deep-seated reasons to stick around, says Corvett as “Turkey wants to bring North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) relations to a better ground,” former Turkish ambassador to NATO Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, told Asia Times. “Afghanistan is one area where Turkey can do this.”

Ankara’s agreement to secure the vital air link was key to the US President Joe Biden’s “positive and productive” description of his meeting with Erdogan at June’s NATO summit, reported Asia Times.

Turkey’s continued presence at the airport helps the US and its allies both cover their military withdrawal and maintain links to their embassies and missions in the Afghan capital.

It also helps Turkey mend some of its battered fences with the US, after years of argument and division, says Corvett.

Moreover, Turkey has long-standing links to Afghanistan after years of close involvement in the country and centuries of cultural and historical ties to the region.

A popular Turkish foundation myth has the original Turks, denizens of Central Asia and western China, following a “grey wolf” west out of their ancestral homelands to their current Anatolian location.

Grey Wolves is the informal name of the ultra-nationalist organisation Ulku Ocaklari (Idealist Hearths), founded in the 1960s by Alparslan Turkes, a colonel who had been involved in the 1960 coup which overthrew Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, reported Middle East Eye.

Taliban creating havoc in Northern Afghanistan

Ulku Ocaklari is often referred to as the youth or street movement of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), also founded by Turkes, which is currently allied with President Erdogan in Turkey.

Ideologically, both organisations supported pan-Turkism, which emphasises unity between the world’s Turkic nations.

The Grey Wolves were originally a fiercely anti-communist group, hostile to democracy, advocating violence against those they saw as Turkey’s enemies, reported Middle East Eye.

Reality or myth, many of today’s Turks do have ancestry and family stretching across Central Asia, with the Turkic peoples including Azeris, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz and Uyghurs, reported Asia Times.

However, what happens now remains highly uncertain as Afghanistan falls deeper into conflict, while the country also becomes a battleground for a range of competing for international interests, said Corvett.

That’s a grim prospect for a country where already since the start of this year some 294,000 people have been driven from their homes, 77,000 of them just in the last month, according to the UN. (IANS/ANI)

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40 Taliban terrorists killed in US airstrikes

The sources added that the fighters had attacked the central prison in Lashkargah city which was driven back by the strikes….reports Asian Lite News

The US army on Monday conducted aerial strikes against the Taliban in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand Province in Afghanistan, killing around 40 Taliban fighters, sources said.

Though the Afghan government did not confirm civilian people being hit, sources in the provincial capital said that eight members of a family, including children, were killed in the strikes.

The sources added that the fighters had attacked the central prison in Lashkargah city which was driven back by the strikes.

The US army has recently intensified its airstrikes on the Taliban to support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), media reports said.

Earlier, US CENTCOM commander General McKenzie had said that the US army will conduct airstrikes in support of the ANDSF in the fight against the Taliban even after full withdrawal of forces, but acknowledged that the strikes will be over the horizon.

The Taliban had attacked the Lashkargah city nearly 10 days ago and recently toppled two police districts in the city and then got closer to the central jail.

The Afghan government has recently sent reinforcements to the city which led to heavy conflicts between the warring sides, leaving hundreds of families displaced.

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EU will not recognise Taliban if they gain power by force

On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that in the past two decades, the Taliban has become “more cruel and more oppressive.”…reports Asian Lite News.

Amid the unrelenting violence in Afghanistan by the Taliban, European Union has reiterated that if the terrorist group rise to power by force, the European Union and other countries will not recognize their regime.

“If Taliban rise to power militarily, the EU will not recognize them,” said Thomas Nicholson, head of the European Union delegation to Afghanistan, as quoted by The Afghanistan Times.

The EU envoy also expressed concern about the security situation in the country, saying that the bloc is trying to stay involved as much as possible.

“We are clearly very concerned about the situation. We are trying to stay involved in Afghanistan as much as possible and will continue our development assistance. We will be involved politically as well,” Nicholson said.

He said the Taliban had no proposals at the negotiating table but “If they put the plan of the Islamic Emirate on the table in the 1990s or any plan that is the Islamic Emirate, no, it will not be acceptable.”

This comes as violence has been on the rise in Afghanistan in recent weeks as the Taliban stepped up its offensive after US and NATO troops began withdrawing from the country.

On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that in the past two decades, the Taliban has become “more cruel and more oppressive.”

During a virtual cabinet meeting, Ghani said, “Yes, they (Taliban) have changed but negatively. They have no wish for peace, for prosperity, or progress; we want peace but they want surrender (subdued people and government).”

Ghani’s remarks come as an Afghan watchdog released a report stating that 1,677 civilians were killed and 3,644 more were injured in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year. This shows an 80 per cent increase in casualties compared to the same period in 2020, the report said.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said on Sunday said these killings took place in 1,594 different security incidents. (ANI)

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Ghani blames ‘abrupt’ US pull out for worsening security

Afghanistan President announced that the period of military presence in Afghanistan is over and it is now the responsibility of the Afghans to determine their future…reports Asian Lite News

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday blamed the country’s deteriorating security on the US deciding “abruptly” to withdraw its troops.

“The reason for our current situation is that the decision was taken abruptly,” he told the Afghan Parliament, adding he had warned Washington that the withdrawal would have “consequences,” reported Tolo News.

President Ghani said in a special session of the National Assembly that Afghanistan was facing a test of survival and the country must be mobilized to pass this test successfully. Ghani also announced the beginning of a six-month security plan to improve the security situation in the country.

He announced that the period of military presence in Afghanistan is over and it is now the responsibility of the Afghans to determine their future.

US soldiers prepare to depart from Kunduz, Afghanistan. (Brian Harris Planet Pix ZUMA_dpa_IANS)

President Ghani in his speech said the present time offered an opportunity to build peace and harmony in the country and it is now the time for unity and solidarity.

Addressing members of both houses of parliament, Ghani said the country was facing an “unprecedented onslaught” from the Taliban who had links with thousands across the country and there is need to mobilize Afghan forces to defend the regime.

Addressing the Taliban, President Ghani said: “Enmity with Afghans is serious” and they “will not surrender to any group”.

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“The Taliban have intensified their oppression and violence,” added Ghani.

“The real conversation is that in the last three months we have faced an unexpected situation … We are facing an onslaught of internal and external propaganda,” said Ghani.

Ghani’s remarks came as the country’s security forces struggle to keep the Taliban at bay.

In southern Afghanistan, fighting continued in Lashkar Gah overnight on Sunday as Afghan forces beat back a fresh assault from the Taliban.

Meanwhile, a US airstrike targeted a Taliban stronghold in Lashkargah city on Monday morning, killing seven members of the group, the Defense Ministry said.

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The Afghan government forces have killed 38 members of the Taliban when they attempted to storm a prison in the southwestern city of Lashkargah in Helmand province, the Afghan defense ministry said today.

Many parts of the city have fallen to the Taliban in recent weeks, TOLO News reported.

Afghanistan has witnessed a spike in violence as the Taliban stepped up its offensive in the country.

Referring to the Taliban’s offensive, President Ghani asked if the Afghan people would allow the Akura Khattak school, a religious seminary located in Akura Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan to decide their future.

According to the President, the Taliban not only have become more oppressive, but they have also strengthened their ties with terrorist groups and sought to seize ports in collusion with smuggling groups.

The Taliban have previously denied any links to foreign terrorist groups, reported Tolo News.

The President stressed that the current problem began when pressure from outside the republic and democracy began and intensified efforts to legitimize a terrorist group. (ANI)

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ALSO READ: Afghan VP lashes out at Pakistan for providing supplies to Taliban
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Afghan VP lashes out at Pakistan for providing supplies to Taliban

Afghanistan VP

The remarks came at a time when the Afghanistan government has stopped all development projects in the country following a reduction in revenues and escalation in security expenses….reports Asian Lite News

Afghanistan’s first Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Sunday again lashed out at Pakistan for the deteriorating situation in his country and said that the neighbouring country had no intention of engaging in meaningful negotiations.

Saleh, during a Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board meeting, said Afghanistan is under an invasion sponsored by Pakistan, which is providing supplies to the Taliban.

“US and NATO are assisting Afghanistan but who is matching the NATO supply on the other side?” Saleh said referring to Pakistan. He said, “Let’s call a spade a spade with them.”

In a tweet, Saleh also said that “Afghanistan is under a full-scale invasion from the Taliban terrorists who have an organized backing & sponsorship in Pakistan.”

“The Taliban use Doha office for deception. They have no intention to engage in meaningful negotiations,” he added.

The remarks came at a time when the Afghanistan government has stopped all development projects in the country following a reduction in revenues and escalation in security expenses.

Taliban have intensified their offensive against civilians, Afghan defence, and security forces as the foreign troops are withdrawing from the war-torn country.

Over the last few weeks, they captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country’s northeastern province. The extremist group issued diktats like ordering women to not leave home alone and men to grow their beards.

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Afghanistan’s first Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Tuesday lashed out at Pakistan saying that its army is the “architect and strategic master” of the ongoing terror invasion of Afghanistan.

The Afghan government has repeatedly accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and preventing the Afghan forces from carrying out military operations against them. Amid the ongoing Taliban offensive, the Afghan Vice President said the propaganda stunts “will not change the reality” of Pakistan.

Captured Taliban fighters. Some of them are from the Madrasas of Pakistan

The ties between the two sides have deteriorated since the daughter of the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan was briefly kidnapped on her way home in Islamabad on July 16. Thereafter, Kabul recalled its ambassador from Islamabad, demanding punishment for those responsible.

In July, Saleh said that the diplomatic community of Pakistan is working hard to painting and decorating a fictional image for the Taliban.

“Pakistan’s diplomatic community is working hard painting and decorating a fictional image for Talibs. On the ground, however, Talibs 2.0 is nothing but an Afghanistan replica of IS-K and Al-Qaeda, providing bases to foreign “good and bad terrorists” The “good” LeT is their buddies in allegiance,” Saleh had said in a tweet.

Previously, Saleh had said Pakistan is giving air support to the Taliban and threatened to hit back if Afghan forces try to retake the Spin Boldak border area. (ANI)

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