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Ready to fight Taliban after US withdrawal: Ghani

The United States’ military withdrawal from Afghanistan is up to 20 percent complete, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

The Afghan government is ready to fight against the Taliban after the full withdrawal of foreign troops from the country, said President Ashraf Ghani as the US announced the completion of up to 20 per cent troops from the war-torn country.

“The threat of terrorism has changed. It has not disappeared. We are all agreed on this,” Ghani said in an interview with American public broadcasting service PBS on May 17.

“The US is committed to support things, providing support. This is financial, in the security area, in the economic area, in the humanitarian area, because the US, fortunately, shares the values of supporting the gains of the last 20 years. And our discussion is enormously productive.”

The United States’ military withdrawal from Afghanistan is up to 20 percent complete, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday.

“US Central Command estimates that we have completed between 13-20 per cent of the entire retrograde process. We expect to be able to provide weekly updates on the progress of the retrograde,” the combatant command responsible for the Middle East and parts of Central Asia said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Pak-Taliban fight forces residents to live in caves

Taliban terrorists have intensified activities since the formal start of the US-led forces pull out from Afghanistan on May 1. The US aims to complete the withdrawal by September 11.

Taliban

Ghani has recently held talks with influential political leaders, including the reconciliation council chief Abdullah Abdullah and former president Hamid Karzai, to build a consensus around peace and form a high-level state council.

The US entered Afghanistan ostensibly to eliminate and destroy the Al-Qaeda terror group under its “war on terror” military campaign. However, the effort morphed into an extended attempt to establish democracy on Afghan soil, Sputnik reported.

During the intervening years, the Taliban regrouped and gained control of large parts of the nation in what has become America’s longest war that lasted over two decades and led to cost up to USD 1 trillion. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Taliban ready for Istanbul summit but wants end talks in Doha

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Taliban ready for Istanbul summit but wants end talks in Doha

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad during the talks in Doha

Sources familiar with the meeting said the Taliban has asked to maintain the Doha negotiations–with serious discussions– but they want the final outcome to be achieved in Doha, not in Istanbul…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the final drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has agreed to begin substantive talks with the Republic team in Doha in the coming days, which would end the peace process stalemate.

According to Tolo News, the Taliban group plans to attend the Istanbul summit but wants the end negotiations to take place in Doha.

The negotiating teams met in Doha on May 14 after a long pause. Sources familiar with the meeting said the Taliban has asked to maintain the Doha negotiations–with serious discussions– but they want the final outcome to be achieved in Doha, not in Istanbul.

“I think that this will open the way for an Istanbul conference where the Taliban will attend. They might make the agenda based on who in the Afghan government team will attend, not based on the US agenda,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander said to Tolo news.

The Republic team said that efforts in Doha and Istanbul will help achieve results in the negotiations, but they stressed that the Taliban’s commitment is key.

Taliban

“A meeting will be meaningful when the attendees include decision-makers and when there is a commitment for decision making. Only participation of high-ranking leaders can affect the current Doha process,” said Fawzia Koofi, member of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

ALSO READ:India’s Afghan envoy expresses grief over CGI’s demise

Meanwhile, a delegation representing the Taliban led by Shai Abdul Hakim Haqqani has been in Pakistan over the last 20 days discussing with the leadership of the group the details of attending the Istanbul summit and the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan.

“Pakistan’s influence on the Taliban and the possible encouragement from Pakistan of course has an impact,” said Mohammad Amin Waqad, former deputy head of the High Peace Council, as reported by Tolo news.

Intra-Afghan talks in Doha.

President Ashraf Ghani has emphasised the need for a decision on peace by the regional players, and for Europe’s much-needed role to “get Pakistan on board” on the ongoing peace talks with Taliban.

“Peace will primarily be decided upon regionally, and I believe we are at a crucial moment of rethinking. It is first and foremost a matter of getting Pakistan on board. The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands,” Ghani told the German news website, Der Spiegel, in an interview.

Over Pakistan’s influence on the Taliban, Ghani said, “Pakistan operates an organized system of support. The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there.”

“The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura, and Peshawar Shura – named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state,” he added.

The negotiations in Doha were stalled after the announcement of a delay in US forces withdrawal in Afghanistan from the original May 1st deadline. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Qureshi reaffirms Pak support for Afghan peace process
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Islamic State claims responsibility for Kabul mosque attack

The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified….reports Asian Lite News

The Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed responsibility for a blast at a mosque in Kabul that killed at least 12 people, including the imam.

In a statement released late Saturday via the Nashir News Agency, which publishes the terror group’s official propaganda, accused the imam, identified as Mohammad Numan, of encouraging the fight against jihadis, reports dpa news agency.

“Soldiers of the caliphate” had planted an explosive device in the mosque, said the statement.

The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified.

At least 15 others were wounded in the attack in Kabul province’s Shakar Dara district during the Eid-ul Fitr festival to mark the end of Ramadan on Friday, according to Afghan security officials.

The attack took place as the Afghan government and the Taliban were holding a ceasefire for the Islamic Eid holidays.

The ceasefire ended at midnight on Saturday. The IS has recently lost territory, leaders and other fighters in Afghanistan.

In addition to the Afghan government, the Taliban are also fighting the extremists. According to a UN report, the terrorist group is still able to carry out attacks in various parts of the country.

US embassy warns of increase in violence

The US embassy in Kabul warned American citizens to exercise caution in places where people are known to congregate, saying that “historically, violence has increased in Afghanistan following the Eid holiday”.

“The US government remains concerned that insurgents are intent on targeting foreigners via kidnapping schemes and attacks at locations such as hotels, residential compounds, security checkpoints, government facilities and airports,” it said in a security alert.

Last month, the US State Department ordered some of its employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere to depart from the American embassy in Kabul, reports dpa news agency.

Ross Wilson, the acting US Ambassador to Afghanistan, said that the decision was made “in light of increasing violence and threat reports in Kabul”.

The Department had also advised US citizens not to travel to Afghanistan due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict and the coronavirus, adding that American nationals already in the country should consider departing.

a piece of broken glass of a vehicle at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua)

Afghanistan is in a state of uncertainty after US President Joe Biden announced that American troops will pull out from the country by September 11.

NATO also said it will abide by the decision.

The international forces already began the official process of withdrawal on May 1.

The Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints since international troops began to withdraw.

Currently, both the Taliban and the Afghan government have announced that they would observe a three-day ceasefire for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that started on Thursday, but the violence continues.

ALSO READ:Truce still a fragile dream in Afghanistan
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Truce still a fragile dream in Afghanistan

Fight between rivals in Afghanistan resumes as 3 day Eid ceasefire ends…reports Asian Lite News

Fighting in Afghanistan resumed with 31 Afghans, mostly militants, killed in the insurgency-battered Asian country on Sunday after a three-day ceasefire observed with the start of Eid al-Fitr on Thursday to enable celebrations of the end of the Muslim fasting month Ramadan, officials said.

Mohammad Zaman Hamdard, the spokesman for provincial police in the southern Helmand province, has accused the Taliban militants of violating the ceasefire, saying the Taliban fighters attacked security checkpoints on Friday, the second day of the Eid al-Fitr festival, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Hamdard said that the security forces after the end of the three-day truce targeted the militants from the ground and air on Sunday killing 21 militants and injuring 13 others.

In the meantime, a roadside mine planted by militants struck a car in Khwaja Omari district of the southeastern Ghazni province early Sunday killing three civilians and injuring three others, district chief Ahmad Zia Yaqubi said.

Similarly, Taliban attacks on security checkpoints in Nasay district of the northern Badakhshan province were repulsed Sunday and the militants fled away after leaving seven bodies behind, army officer Abdul Razaq told said.

ALSO READ: 15 killed in Afghanistan as Taliban announces ceasefire

Four other militants and two security personnel were injured in the fighting lasting hours, the officer added.

A driver sustained injury as his car ran over a mine in the Dasht-e-Padola area of PD 7 of the capital city of Kabul on Sunday, police said.

Afghan security force members take part in a military operation in Ghazni province, eastern Afghanistan

Taliban-related militancy, according to the Afghan Defense Ministry had left more than 40 people dead and injured during the three-day Eid al-Fitr holidays in Kandahar, Kunduz, Ghazni, Herat, Farah, Logar and Wardak provinces as the armed group violated the cease-fire.

Among the deadly violent incidents was a blast inside a mosque on the outskirts of Kabul on Friday, the second day of Eid al-Fitr, which claimed 12 lives and injured 15 others. Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid besides condemning the attack has denied the group’s involvement.

In a counter claim, Mujahid has accused the government forces of breaking the ceasefire.

ALSO READ: Taliban controls 75% mining sites in Afghanistan
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Qureshi reaffirms Pak support for Afghan peace process

The intra-Afghan negotiations provide a historic opportunity to achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan for ending the long-lasting conflict, said Qureshi…reports Asian Lite News

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has reaffirmed his country’s support to the Afghan peace process for a sustainable political settlement in the war-torn neighbouring country.

The intra-Afghan negotiations provide a historic opportunity to achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan for ending the long-lasting conflict, Qureshi said during a call on with his Afghan counterpart Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said Pakistan welcomed the announcement of the three-day Eid-ul-Fitr ceasefire by the Afghan parties recently, adding that efforts should continue for a permanent ceasefire.

Both sides also agreed to maintain high-level bilateral exchanges and work together for the further consolidation of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was in Kabul to discuss the Afghan peace process with all stakeholders.

Ashraf Ghani

He arrived unannounced at a time of heightened uncertainty in a region where violence has surged amid US intent to pull out all troops from Afghanistan. According to sources, Bajwa is going to meet Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan leaders in Kabul.

The sources said that Pakistani security officials have approached the Afghan Taliban leadership in Doha and made it clear to them that their refusal to participate in the Istanbul Conference was a big blow to the Afghan Peace Process, and if they do not show some flexibility, they will have to face the consequences.

ALSO READ: Pakistan puts Shahbaz Sharif in Exit Control List

It is believed that few senior Taliban leaders of the negotiating team are already in Pakistan to seek “guidance” from their leadership who are in Pakistan.

“Where are stalemate in talks, they (Taliban) say that we are going to consult our elders. In reality their elders are the ISI and Pakistani army,” said the first vice president of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh.

Afghan President Ghani, after the US decision to withdraw its troops, had said, “the withdrawal has forced them to make a choice. Taliban and their patrons in Pakistan, will they become credible stakeholders, or will they foster more chaos and violence? If the Taliban choose the latter path, the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) will fight them. And if the Taliban still refuse to negotiate, they will be choosing the peace of the grave.” He further said, “The negotiations would confront difficult issues, such as whether and how the Taliban would end their relationship with Pakistan, which provides them with support for logistics, finances, and recruitment.” (with inputs from IndiaNarrative)

ALSO READ: China, Pakistan mark 70 years of bilateral ties
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India’s Afghan envoy expresses grief over CGI’s demise

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also expressed condolences on the demise of Consul General of India in Mazar-e-Sharif…reports Asian Lite News

Afghanistan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay on Monday expressed condolences over the death of Vinesh Kalra, Consul General of India in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Vinesh Kalra, Consul General, Mazar-e-Sharif, a great representative of India, dedicated to strengthening Indo-Afghan relations. We express deep condolences to his family, friends & colleagues,” Mamundzay wrote in a tweet.

Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has condoled the demise of Vinesh Kalra.

“MEA sincerely condoles passing away of Vinesh Kalra, Consul General, Mazar-e-Sharif. A sincere, hard working & reliable officer, he showed exemplary commitment & dedication to the national cause by volunteering for a posting under difficult conditions to Afghanistan,” Bagchi tweeted.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla also expressed condolences on the demise of Consul General of India in Mazar-e-Sharif and said, “Loss of a dedicated officer who volunteered for a challenging assignment. I spoke to Mrs Monika Kalra conveying heartfelt condolences of all @MEAIndia personnel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time.”

According to an official release, Vinesh Kalra was a diplomat from the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He had served in various Indian Missions abroad viz. Muscat (Oman), Hanoi (Vietnam), Pretoria (South Africa), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Beijing (China). (ANI)

ALSO READ: Taliban controls 75% mining sites in Afghanistan

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Taliban controls 75% mining sites in Afghanistan

Mining sites under Taliban control: 165 in Badakhshan, 16 in Helmand, 11 in Nuristan, as many in Kunduz, eight in Uruzgan and 72 in 21 other provinces…reports Asian Lite News

Around 75 per cent of total mining sites in Afghanistan are under the control of Taliban and local strongmen, leading to their dominance in the sector which has the potential to generate large government revenues in the country.

According to the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) of 748 mining areas in different parts of Afghanistan, about 283 are controlled by the Taliban, 281 by the government and the remaining by powerful individuals, Pajhwok News Agency reported.

Mining areas under government control are 139 in Kabul, 37 in Badakhshan, 24 in Farah, 19 in Logar, 13 in Khost, and 49 in 11 other provinces.

Mining sites under Taliban control: 165 in Badakhshan, 16 in Helmand, 11 in Nuristan, as many in Kunduz, eight in Uruzgan and 72 in 21 other provinces.

Taliban

Similarly, the mining sites under the control of strongmen include 127 in Kunar, 10 in Samangan, 10 in Baghlan, nine in Maidan Wardak, six in Kunduz and 27 in seven other provinces.

According to the table provided by the ministry, there has been no mining activity in 14 areas. However, mining has been ongoing at one site for 40 years, at three sites for 30 years, at six sites for 20 years, at two sites for 18 years and at three other sites for 15 years.

ALSO READ; Taliban declares 3-day ceasefire ahead of Eid

Afghanistan is a mineral rich nation whose mineral wealth is estimated to exceed one trillion dollars. But according to data, every year the government loses around USD 300m in revenue from mining, reported Al Jazeera.

Poor security, the lack of proper legal framework and organisational capacity, as well as corruption, have prevented the development of the sector.

Taliban

The poor management of the country’s wealth, coupled with poverty, have enabled armed groups and local strongmen to illegally extract resources and sell them on the black market to neighbouring countries and beyond.

According to the investigation by Global Witness, both the Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL or ISIS) have benefited.

The watchdog group estimated that the Taliban earn between USD 2.5m and USD 10m a year from mining talc alone, which has become, next to opium, their main source of revenue.

Illegal mining thus helps to prolong the ongoing conflict, especially in the northern and eastern provinces where warring groups compete for mineral wealth. (ANI)

ALSO READ: 15 killed in Afghanistan as Taliban announces ceasefire
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‘Afghans deserve much more than Eid ceasefire’

Zalmay Khalilzad

Citing the recent rise in violence, top US diplomat Khalilzad on Tuesday said that Afghans deserve a political settlement and a permanent ceasefire….reports Asian Lite News

Amid the surge in violence in Afghanistan in recent weeks, US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad on Tuesday welcomed the announcements by the Taliban and the Afghan government to uphold ceasefire in the country during the festival of Eid.

“I welcome the announcements by the Taliban and the Afghan government to observe an Eid ceasefire. Violence has been horrific in recent weeks, and the Afghan people have paid the price,” Khalilzad tweeted.

A day after the deadly bombing outside a school in Kabul claimed the lives of over 60 students, the Taliban on Sunday night had announced that they would observe a three-day ceasefire for the festival of Eid. Later on Monday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also instructed all Afghan forces to observe the ceasefire during Eid.

Photo shows the site of a car bomb in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah AlizadahXinhuaIANS)

Noting the recent rise in violence, top US diplomat Khalilzad on Tuesday said that Afghans deserve a political settlement and a permanent ceasefire.

“But Afghans deserve much more: a political settlement and a permanent ceasefire. We, therefore, urge accelerated negotiations among Afghans on a political settlement and an end to this senseless war. This is what the Afghan people yearn for. The United States stands with them,” he added.

This comes after at least three explosions that took place near Sayed-ul-Shuhada High School in the west of Kabul on Saturday afternoon. As many as 63 people, all students, were killed in a Kabul school bombing and 150 more were wounded, TOLO News reported citing sources and relatives of victims.

Amid the ongoing drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the war-torn country has seen a spike in the incidents of violence in recent weeks, leading to casualties of Afghan security forces and civilians. (ANI)

ALSO READ:15 killed in Afghanistan as Taliban announces ceasefire

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15 killed in Afghanistan as Taliban announces ceasefire

Photo shows the site of a car bomb in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah AlizadahXinhuaIANS)

Taliban fighters are prohibited from visiting government-controlled areas or giving “enemy personnel” access to areas controlled by the Islamists….reports Asian Lite News

At least 15 people, mainly civilians, were killed in Afghanistan on Monday, the same day Taliban militants announced a nationwide three-day ceasefire for the upcoming Eid-al0Fitr holidays.

The holidays are due to start either on Wednesday or Thursday depending on the sighting of the new moon, but the latest violence, which officials blamed on the Taliban, cast a pall over the news of any short-lived reduction in violence, reports dpa news agency.

All Taliban fighters are instructed to cease offensive operations across the country from the first to the third day of Eid-al Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, a Taliban statement published late Sunday read.

Taliban fighters are prohibited from visiting government-controlled areas or giving “enemy personnel” access to areas controlled by the Islamists.

Taliban

A response from the government in Kabul is still pending.

The Taliban has declared ceasefires to mark the end of Ramadan in the past.

There have been growing concerns about the security situation in Afghanistan since May 1, the date that international troops officially began their withdrawal.

ALSO READ:Taliban launches new offensives as US misses May 1 deadline

The process is due to be completed by September 11 at the latest.

Highlighting the dangers, at least 11 civilians were killed after a roadside bomb hit a passenger bus in Zabul province, in the south, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

Another 28 passengers were wounded in the explosion, which happened around midnight.

Meanwhile, in Parwan province, two people were killed in an explosion that targeted a minibus with 25 passengers onboard, according to a provincial police spokesperson and a local politician.

Nearly a dozen people were wounded in the bombing.

Taliban

In Farah province, militants detonated an explosive-packed armoured vehicle near an army checkpoint just a few km away from the provincial city centre, several officials confirmed.

There were conflicting reports about the casualty figures.

Provincial governor Taj Mohammad Jahid told dpa that two soldiers were killed and five others were wounded in a checkpoint.

However, provincial councillor Shah Mahmoud Naimi said that the bodies of six soldiers were found under the rubble and four others have been taken captive, with the fate of the remaining force members unclear.

Government officials have blamed the Taliban for the incidents.

ALSO READ: Taliban declares 3-day ceasefire ahead of Eid

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Aus FM, Ghani discuss troop pullout

The Foreign Minister Marise Payne also discussed the handling of alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops…reports Asian Lite News

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Monday met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul to discuss the withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country.

The Foreign Minister said in a statement that in meetings in the Afghan capital she also discussed the handling of alleged war crimes committed by Australian troops, reports dpa news agency.

Payne, who is also Australia’s Minister for Women, said she met Afghanistan’s Minister for Women’s Affairs Hasina Safi, the head of the country’s National Reconciliation Council, Abdullah Abdullah, and the commander of the US and NATO forces in the country, US General Austin Scott Miller.

Ashraf Ghani

“During these meetings, we discussed the sacrifices made by the Afghan people, as well as those international military forces killed or wounded, including those Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice and the many who still bear the impacts of their service in Afghanistan both physical and mental,” Payne said.

Also read:Beijing strikes back at Australia

The Minister said that with the departure of Australian troops from the country, the Australia-Afghanistan relationship is “beginning a new chapter,” pledging to “continue our close friendship, and support our shared aspiration of peace, stability and prosperity”.

Payne’s visit to Kabul, which according to Australian media was unannounced, followed explosions near a school in the Afghan capital over the weekend which killed more than 50 people, many of them teenage girls leaving class.

“I expressed our deepest condolences for the cowardly terrorist attack on teenage girls at school,” Payne said in a tweet after meeting Ghani.

The Taliban were quick to reject their involvement in the attack, however the government has blamed the militant group.
Also read:Australia to lift India travel ban from May 15