Category: Afghanistan

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Curfew imposed in Afghanistan to stop Taliban

The militant group is estimated to have captured up to half of all territory….reports Asian Lite News

The Afghan government imposed a curfew across almost all of the country on Saturday in an attempt to stop the Taliban from invading cities, the media reported.

Aside from the capital Kabul and two other provinces, no movement will be allowed between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces has escalated over the past two months as international troops withdraw from the country, the BBC reported.

The militant group is estimated to have captured up to half of all territory.

It has moved swiftly in the wake of the US withdrawal, retaking border crossings and other territory in rural areas.

The Taliban – a fundamentalist Islamist militia who were pushed out of power by the US invasion nearly 20 years ago – has also seized key roads as it seeks to cut off supply routes.

Its fighters have been closing in on a number of major cities, but have not yet been able to capture one.

“To curb violence and limit the Taliban movements a night curfew has been imposed in 31 provinces,” the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that Kabul, Panjshir and Nangarhar were exempt.

As the Taliban continues to advance, fierce clashes have taken place this week on the outskirts of the city of Kandahar.

In response, the US launched airstrikes against militant positions in the area on Thursday. But with US operations in Afghanistan officially due to end on 31 August, there are concerns about the months ahead.

US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan in October 2001. The group had been harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda figures linked to the September 11 attacks on the US.

President Biden has said the American pull-out is justified as US forces have made sure Afghanistan cannot again become a base for foreign jihadists to plot against the West.

Earlier this month, American troops quietly departed from Bagram airfield, a sprawling base that was the centre of US operations in Afghanistan and once held tens of thousands of troops.

Some US intelligence analysts fear the Taliban could seize control of the country within six months, according to an assessment distributed to officials in June.

ALSO READ: US reaffirms support for Afghanistan as fighting escalates

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan USA

US reaffirms support for Afghanistan as fighting escalates

The call came amidst a sharp rise in violence as Taliban militants have continued to wage a war against Afghanistan government forces and gain ground since the drawdown began on May 1, reports Asian Lite News

During a phone call with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington’s support for Kabul as fighting has escalated in the war-torn country since the withdrawal of American forces began in May.

According to the White House, the two leaders on Friday discussed the present situation in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their commitment to an enduring bilateral partnership.

“President Biden emphasized continued US support, including development and humanitarian aid, for the Afghan people, including women, girls, and minorities,” it said.

Afghanistan
Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Chahar Dara district of Kunduz province, Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Ajmal Kakar/IANS)

Biden and Ghani also agreed that the “Taliban’s current offensive is in direct contradiction to the movement’s claim to support a negotiated settlement of the conflict”, according to the White House.

The US leader also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to continue supporting the Afghan security forces to defend themselves.

The White House further said that the planned $3.3 billion of security assistance for Kabul in fiscal year 2022 would prioritise capabilities of the Afghan Air Force, key supplies, and salaries for Afghan troops.

In a tweet on Saturday morning, Ghani said: “President Biden reassured me that support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will continue. We have confidence that they will protect and defend Afghanistan.

Afghan national army soldiers take part in an operation against Taliban militants in Kunduz city, Afghanistan. (Photo by Ajmal Kakar_Xinhua_IANS)

“We stressed on the importance of the Afghans coming together for peace and security. And reiterated the enduring partnership, continued diplomatic and economic support for the Afghan government, security forces and the importance of preserving the gains of the last 20 years.”

The call came amidst a sharp rise in violence as Taliban militants have continued to wage a war against government forces and gain ground since the drawdown began on May 1.

Over 200 districts, including some key border towns, have fallen to the Taliban in the last two months.

But the government has assured to retake the districts, especially the border towns in Herat and Kandahar provinces.

Biden had ordered the US military to end its mission in Afghanistan by August 31, days ahead of his original September 11 deadline.

US Central Command said last week over 95 percent of the withdrawal had been completed.

ALSO READ – Growing Support For Afghan Taliban In Pakistan

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Growing Support For Afghan Taliban In Pakistan

There are also indications of Pakistani nationals fighting in Afghanistan and several of them returning injured and some dead bodies being sent back, reports Asian Lite News

As the battle rages in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the Afghan forces, there is increasing support for the Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

There are also indications of Pakistani nationals fighting in Afghanistan and several of them returning injured and some dead bodies being sent back. This has further charged the sentiments of local youth in the region who have been offering their services to fight in Afghanistan.

Intelligence sources say when the bodies of local youth are brought back to Pakistan, there is a well laid-out ceremony conducted involving elders from the community and religious leaders. This procedure has been refined by local Afghan leaders based in Pakistan at the instance of the Pakistan Army with the aim of generating strong sentiments in favour of the so-called “martyrs” and ensure more recruitment.

Some local leaders who have become weary of war over the years have been averse to such activities as they feel this is another effort on behalf of the Pakistan Army to create a narrative that would drag several youth to fight another war in Afghanistan on behalf of the Pakistani Army. Some of these individuals feel that they should not lose another generation to war in Afghanistan.

Many Ulema in different parts of Pakistan have also been roped in as part of the process of creating a narrative in support of the Taliban and have been urging people to send donations for the Taliban. This is a feature particularly noticed in Balochistan’s Quetta and Pishin where strong support exists for the Taliban. However, locals claim that the entire exercise of motivating youth to join the Taliban and raising funds for the Taliban through the Ulemas is carried out discreetly and appears to be guided by officials of the Pakistan Army.

ALSO READ – Afghan interpreter for US Army beheaded by Taliban

They are wary of their role being exposed in the process and hence, have even disallowed public demonstrations in favour of the Taliban. Likewise, unlike before when the Ulemas used to request for funds by announcing from their mosques on the public address system, they have now started approaching houses for collecting funds.

In the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Opposition’s pro-development lawmaker Mohsin Dawar, said that Taliban activities are openly going on in Quetta and many other cities in Balochistan which is not possible without the support of the state. He mentioned that the Pakistan Army has created secure zones at different locations in Balochistan lately where they could possibly be hosting injured Taliban fighters or providing them funds, arms and resources besides enabling them to take have a temporary operational base.

On the other hand, government ranks have rubbished all such reports of collection donations and alms for Afghan Taliban as baseless. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary termed all such reports as fabricated and untrue. It is important to note that while Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been termed as banned as per the law, but TTP’s support to Afghan Taliban is winning them appreciation from some circles.

ALSO READ – US bombs Taliban camps to help Afghan forces

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan

100 civilians killed after fall of Spin Boldak district

The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed the report, blaming the Taliban for the “murder of civilians.”…reports Asian Lite News

A group of gunmen reportedly killed “over 100 civilians” in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, TOLO News reported on Thursday citing sources.

The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed the report, blaming the Taliban for the “murder of civilians.”

“The brutal terrorists on the order of their Punjabi bosses (Pakistan) ambushed the homes of the innocent Afghans in certain areas of Spin Boldak, looted the homes and martyred 100 innocent people,” said Mirwais Stanekzai, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior. “This unveils the real face of the cruel enemy,” added Stanekzai.

Last week, the Taliban had seized Spin Boldak and rampaged through it. In video footage released by France 24, scores of Taliban members were seen rampaging through the town, looting homes and seizing vehicles of government officials who had fled the area.

They were seen roaming on motorbikes through the bazaar and looting the area that provides direct access to Pakistan’s Balochistan province. They also raised the flags of the Taliban in one of the houses.

A member of Kandahar’s provincial council said that unidentified gunmen took his two sons out of the house a day before Eid and then killed them.

Fida Mohammad Afghan, who is a resident of Spin Boldak, said that his sons were not associated with any military group. “They say that they were not associated with the movement (Taliban), but whoever they are, they must be apprehended and they must be brought to justice,” said Afghan, as quoted by TOLO News.

The dead bodies of several civilians are still lying on the ground in Spin Boldak, according to the Afghan security agencies.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have denied any involvement in the killing of civilians.

36K families displaced

Amid the recent increase in the Taliban offensive, more than 36,000 families have been internally displaced in Afghanistan over the past four months.

Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation on Thursday expressed concern over a potential spike in the number of displaced people if war continues.

“Since Hamal [March], about 36,500 families have been displaced from their homes due to war and insecurity in several provinces,” ministry adviser Sayed Abdul Basit Ansari, as quoted by TOLO News.

Since the US announced its withdrawal plans in May, Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in violence in the war-torn country. The pullout is scheduled to be completed by August.

Earlier this week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had said that more than 49,500 weapon-wounded patients have received treatment and care at 416 ICRC-supported health facilities across the country.

The ICRC statement had further stated that this equates to on average 270 people every day. The organisation also said Afghanistan is among “the deadliest places in the world to be a civilian” and women and children make up nearly half of all civilian casualties.

“The ICRC’s physical rehabilitation and limb-fitting services registered more than 7,130 new patients in the same period, an average of 40 people every day. Of those, more than 700 were people who had had a limb amputated, or on average four people a day with such a condition,” the release added. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘Re-entering Afghanistan will be impossible for US’

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan USA

US bombs Taliban camps to help Afghan forces

At least five Taliban members were killed in the airstrikes carried out by the US over the past few days, reports Asian Lite News

The US carried out airstrikes across Afghanistan in the last several days as part of an effort to support the local administration in pushing back the Taliban, news agencies reported on Friday citing officials familiar with the matter in the Pentagon. As many as five Taliban insurgents have died in the strikes, local reports added.

With the Taliban increasing their advances in Afghanistan in the wake of the drawdown of American and Nato military forces, the United States has once again come to the aid of the Afghan security forces fighting the insurgents, the Pentagon said. “Without speaking to specifics, I can say that in the last several days, we have acted through airstrikes to support the ANDSF (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces) but I won’t get into tactical details of those strikes,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters on Thursday at a news conference in Washington.

The Pentagon categorically refused to divulge too many details about the airstrikes. The local media in Afghanistan, however, stated that at least five Taliban members were killed in the airstrikes carried out by the US over the past few days. An unnamed American defence official, cited by CNN, said that the US military has so far carried out approximately six or seven strikes in the past 30 days, mostly using drones to launch the strikes.

The US airstrikes targeted “captured military equipment that the Taliban [were] able to seize from the ANDSF,” the official was quoted as saying.

The development comes in the backdrop of the Taliban sweeping across Afghanistan in recent days, pushing back the country’s military forces and taking over significant swaths of territory as the US nears the ends of its troop withdrawal.

The Taliban are putting pressure on 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capital, said General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Wednesday. Although he admitted that there is a possibility of a “complete Taliban takeover” of the country, General Milley asserted that “the end game is yet to be written.”

Pic credit ANI

US delivers 3 refurbished military helicopters to Afghanistan

Amid the ongoing Taliban offensive, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday said that the United States has delivered three refurbished military helicopters to Afghanistan and such assistance will continue in the future.

Addressing a press briefing, Austin said, “We are going to provide on Friday three newly refurbished UH-60s landed in Kabul and they will continue to see a steady drumbeat of that kind of support going forward.”

“After August our focus is on those elements that present threats to the United States of America. So there will be counter-terrorism focus there.”

Since the US announced its withdrawal plans in May, Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in violence in the war-torn country. The pullout will be completed by August.

With the military withdrawal merely weeks away, the Defence Secretary said the US is doing a lot to support the Afghan military and Afghan leadership.

“Make no mistake that we remain committed to helping the Afghan security forces and the Afghan government going forward. And we are doing what we said we will do and putting the pieces in place to ensure that we can provide that support,” Austin asserted.

Answering a question of Al-Qaeda’s resurgence, he added “that is something that we are watching closely and we will continue to keep an eye on that. Our major focus going forward is that violence and terrorism cannot be exported from Afghanistan to our homeland.”

“Earlier, Taliban had committed to not providing support to Al-Qaeda. We expect them to meet that commitment.”

The Defence Department had said that the US will beef up the Afghanistan Air Force with 37 Black Hawk helicopters and help refurbish a large part of its fleet of Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters.

The US will also provide the Afghan armed forces three more Super Tucano strike airplanes, thereby, increasing their military edge over the Taliban forces, Defence spokesperson John Kirby added.

ALSO READ: Afghan interpreter for US Army beheaded by Taliban

ALSO READ: US set to relocate Afghan evacuees

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Afghan interpreter for US Army beheaded by Taliban

Pardis was one of the thousands of Afghan interpreters who worked for the US military and now face persecution by the Taliban…reports Asian Lite News

Sohail Pardis, an Afghan interpreter who worked for the US Army was beheaded by the Taliban.

Pardis was one of the thousands of Afghan interpreters who worked for the US military and now face persecution by the Taliban, as the group gains control of parts of the country, reported CNN.

He was driving from his home in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul to nearby Khost province on May 12 for Eid when his vehicle was blocked at a checkpoint by the Taliban.

Villagers who witnessed the incident told the Red Crescent that the Taliban shot his car before it swerved and stopped. They then dragged Pardis out of the vehicle and beheaded him.

Just days before, Pardis had confided to his friend that he was receiving death threats from the Taliban, who had discovered he had worked as a translator for the United States Army for 16 months during the 20-year-long conflict.

“They were telling him you are a spy for the Americans, you are the eyes of the Americans and you are infidel, and we will kill you and your family,” his friend and co-worker Abdulhaq Ayoubi told CNN.

In a statement issued in June, the Taliban said it would not harm those who worked alongside foreign forces. A Taliban spokesperson told CNN that they were attempting to verify the details of the incident but said some incidents are not what they are portrayed to be.

ALSO READ: Taliban seeks prisoner release, UN blacklist removal

But those who spoke to CNN said their lives are now under threat as the Taliban launch revenge attacks following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. At the height of the war, there were about 100,000 US troops in the country, as part of a NATO force, reported CNN.

“We can’t breathe here. The Taliban have no mercy on us,” Ayoubi said.

Around 18,000 Afghans who worked for the US military have applied for a Special Immigrant Visa program that would allow them to go to the United States.

On July 14, the White House said it was launching, “Operation Allies Refuge,” an effort to relocate the thousands of Afghan interpreters and translators who worked for the US and whose lives are now at risk. The evacuation will begin in the last week of July for Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants already in the pipeline, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing.

Previously, the Biden administration said it was in talks with a number of countries to act as safe havens until the US can complete the long visa process, a clear sign the government is well aware of the looming threat posed by the Taliban, reported CNN.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday that the Defense Department “is considering options” where Afghan nationals and their families could potentially go.

“We’re still examining possibilities for overseas locations to include some departmental installations that would be capable of supporting planned relocation efforts with appropriate temporary residences and supporting infrastructure,” Kirby said.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration on Monday said it would evacuate 2,500 Afghan visa seekers along with their families who worked for America during the war against the Taliban and would house them in a military base in Virginia till their visas get cleared. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Taliban has gained strategic momentum: Top US Gen

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan USA

Taliban has gained strategic momentum: Top US Gen

General Mark Milley still expressed confidence in the ability of Afghan forces to fend off a Taliban takeover of the country….reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban now controls a total of 212, or roughly half of Afghanistan’s 419 district centres, a top US General said, adding that the insurgents appear to have gained “strategic momentum” since the withdrawal of American troops.

“Strategic momentum appears to be sort of with the Taliban,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a press conference at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

“We’re going to find out, the levels of violence, does it go up, does it stay the same, there’s the possibility of negotiated outcome still out there, there’s the possibility of a Taliban takeover (and) any other number of scenarios,” Milley said.

He still expressed confidence in the ability of Afghan forces to fend off a Taliban takeover of the country.

“The two most important combat multipliers, actually, is will and leadership. And this is going to be a test now of the will and leadership of the Afghan people, the Afghan Security Forces and the government of Afghanistan.

“I don’t think the end game is yet written. A negative outcome, a Taliban automatic takeover, is not a foregone conclusion,” he added.

While the militants are yet to capture any of the country’s 34 provincial capitals, they are pressuring about half of them, said Milley.

Afghan security forces are consolidating their positions to protect those major urban centres including Kabul, he said.

“What they’re trying to do is isolate the major population centres. They’re trying to do the same thing to Kabul.”

As of Wednesday, the Taliban now controls about 212 of Afghanistan’s 419 district centres, Milley said, adding that it was a significant jump from the 81 district centres a month ago.

The top US General attributed some of the Taliban’s recent gains to Afghan forces consolidating in order to protect population centre, The Hill news website said in a report.

“Part of this is they’re giving up district centres in order to consolidate their forces because they’re taking an approach to protect the population,” Milley said.

“And most of the population lives in the provincial capitals and the capital city of Kabul. So they are right now, as we speak, adjusting forces to consolidate into the provincial capitals and Kabul.”

He also predicted that, following a lull in violence for the Eid al-Adha holiday, the rest of the summer could be decisive for the tide of the war, the report added.

Afghanistan has witnessed heavy battles between Taliban and security forces since the start of withdrawal of the US-led forces from the war-torn country on May 1.

US President Joe Biden has set a formal end to the US military mission in Afghanistan for August 31, days ahead of his original September 11 deadline.

US Central Command said last week over 95 per cent of the withdrawal has been completed.

More than 2,400 US troops were killed in Afghanistan over the past two decades, with 20,000 wounded, according to the Pentagon.

Estimates show that over 66,000 Afghan troops have been killed, and over 2.7 million people were displaced.

ALSO READ: Taliban seeks prisoner release, UN blacklist removal

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan India News

US Army Chief to arrive in India on three-day visit next month


The Indo-US defense ties have been on an upswing in the last few years and the US is supportive of an active role for New Delhi in the future political and security architecture of Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News.

Chief of Staff of the US Army General James C McConville will be on a 3-day visit to India starting from August 4, Prasar Bharati News Services said on Wednesday. The visit of the US Army chief comes at a time when there is a fierce conflict in Afghanistan between the Afghan National Forces and the Taliban. Afghanistan is facing turmoil since the US and NATO
troops began withdrawal in May this year.

In May, McConville, who is the 40th US Chief of Staff, had a telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart General MM Naravane.
Their talks had focused on bilateral military cooperation. They had also discussed ways to expand cooperation between the two armies in specific areas in view of the evolving regional security scenario.

The Indo-US defense ties have been on an upswing in the last few years and the US is supportive of an active role for New Delhi in the future political and security architecture of Afghanistan. In October last year, India and the US had sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation
Agreement), the last of four foundational agreements for strategic ties.
The pact allows expanded geospatial information sharing between the armed forces of the two countries.

Earlier India and the US had signed the GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement) in 2002, the LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in 2016 and the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement in 2018
In June 2016, the US had designated India a “Major Defence Partner.

ALSO READ-Afghan Army Chief to visit India next week

READ MORE-‘Pak Army trains Taliban’

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan

Taliban seeks prisoner release, UN blacklist removal

This comes as the Afghan government and Taliban were expected to announce at least a three-day ceasefire during Eid…reports Asian Lite News

Taliban have sought the release of more prisoners and the removal of its leaders’ names from the UN blacklist as a trust-building measure, said Atta Mohammad Noor, a high-level Afghan politician on Tuesday.

Noor, who attended the two-day Doha negotiations with the Taliban delegation, said this will not happen and the government will not repeat its previous act–of releasing 5,000 inmates–which did not help in reducing violence or furthering the peace process in the country.

He said three commissions were formed during the two days of talks in Doha but none led to any results, TOLOnews reported.

This comes as the Afghan government and Taliban were expected to announce at least a three-day ceasefire during Eid. However, it did not happen despite a high-level meeting in Doha, Qatar.

Amid the continuing offensive by Taiban, Noor said that trust can be built through other ways.

“Trust can be built through understanding, partnership in power, political partnership, end of war, reduction in violence, and ceasefire. We could have started from any other route, but regretfully, this did not happen,” he said.

Welcoming the agreement in Doha for the continuation of negotiations, he said: “We hope that one day the other side will realise that war is not the solution in Afghanistan and peace is in the interest of all sides.”

On Monday, President Ghani accused the Taliban of having secret deals with Pakistan. Speaking on a trip to Herat province, Ghani said the group has destroyed over 140 mosques.

“How did you deal concerning Afghanistan’s water? How did you deal on Afghanistan’s mines? How did you deal on Afghanistan’s defence and security forces? How did you deal on the Durand Line?” Ghani asked.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have denied the allegations.

US to relocate Afghan refugees

About 2,500 Afghans who helped the US military in the two-decade war will be relocated to an army base in Virginia to complete their visa application process, the State Department said.

“The Department of Defense has agreed at the request of the Department of State to allow the use of Fort Lee, Virginia, as the initial relocation site for the pool of applicants who are closest to completing special immigrant processing,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at a briefing on Monday.

“Approximately 2,500 Afghans and family members are currently eligible to finish special immigrant processing in the US,” he added.

The White House said last week that some 20,000 Afghans had applied for Special Immigrants Visa (SIV), and the evacuation flights for eligible applicants out of the country will begin in the last week of July, reports Xinhua news agency.

President Joe Biden’s administration has been facing pressure from lawmakers to evacuate Afghans who helped the US military and are vulnerable to Taliban reprisals.

President Biden had ordered the US military to end its mission in Afghanistan by August 31, days ahead of his original September 11 deadline.

The US Central Command said last week over 95 per cent of the withdrawal had been completed.

The security situation in the war-torn country has deteriorated as Taliban militants continue heavy fighting against government forces and gain ground since the drawdown of US troops on May 1. (ANI/IANS)

ALSO READ: Ghani slamsTaliban for refusing peace talks

Categories
-Top News Afghanistan

US set to relocate Afghan evacuees

President Joe Biden’s administration has been facing pressure from lawmakers to evacuate Afghans who helped the US military and are vulnerable to Taliban reprisals….reports Asian Lite News

About 2,500 Afghans who helped the US military in the two-decade war will be relocated to an army base in Virginia to complete their visa application process, the State Department said.

“The Department of Defense has agreed at the request of the Department of State to allow the use of Fort Lee, Virginia, as the initial relocation site for the pool of applicants who are closest to completing special immigrant processing,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at a briefing on Monday.

“Approximately 2,500 Afghans and family members are currently eligible to finish special immigrant processing in the US,” he added.

The White House said last week that some 20,000 Afghans had applied for Special Immigrants Visa (SIV), and the evacuation flights for eligible applicants out of the country will begin in the last week of July, reports Xinhua news agency.

President Joe Biden’s administration has been facing pressure from lawmakers to evacuate Afghans who helped the US military and are vulnerable to Taliban reprisals.

President Biden had ordered the US military to end its mission in Afghanistan by August 31, days ahead of his original September 11 deadline.

The US Central Command said last week over 95 per cent of the withdrawal had been completed.

The security situation in the war-torn country has deteriorated as Taliban militants continue heavy fighting against government forces and gain ground since the drawdown of US troops on May 1.

ALSO READ: ‘Re-entering Afghanistan will be impossible for US’