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Ghani meets US peace delegation in Kabul

Two sides during the meeting on Sunday discussed several issues including expanding cooperation, and maintaining bilateral political ties,According to Ghani’s office…reports Asian Lite News

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met a visiting US inter-ministerial delegation led by Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, in Kabul.

According to Ghani’s Office, the two sides during the meeting on Sunday discussed several issues including expanding cooperation, and maintaining bilateral political, security, defense and economic relations.

Concerning the continuation of $3.3 billion in annual assistance for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), the US delegation conveyed the White House message of supporting the ANDSF as well as supporting Afghanistan in the economic areas

Zalmay Khalilzad. (Photo: Twitter/@US4AfghanPeace)

Besides Ghani, Khalilzad on Sunday also met the head of High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Abdullah Abdullah, during which they discussing issues related to the Taliban and Afghanistan’s national reconciliation efforts.

Before Khalilzad had embarked on his trip to Kabul, the US State Department said that the “delegation will underscore enduring US support for Afghanistan’s development and a political settlement that will end the war”.

The visit comes over a month after US President Joe Biden announced in April to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by September 11.

The announcement was followed by concerns about the political future of Afghanistan, TOLO News reported.

Pentagon officials have said that one-quarter of the withdrawal has been completed.

The US forces have handed some bases to Afghan forces, including the New Kabul Compound, known as NKC, in Kabul.

Violence has however, remained high in Afghanistan, while the peace negotiations in Doha have had no progress following Biden’s announcement.

119 killed in 2 days

Amid a surge in violence following US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, a security official said that 119 people, including 102 security force members were killed in clashes and security incidents in just two days–June 3 and 4.

Details provided by a security official who wished not to be named indicated that 196 security force members were wounded in just two days, reported Tolo News.

The source said that Taliban casualties are similar to those of Afghan forces in the same time period, but the Defense Ministry reported that 183 Taliban were killed in Afghan defensive operations in eight provinces on June 3 and 181 Taliban were killed in Afghan forces operations in six provinces on June 4.

Analysts said that this shows the gravity of the intensifying conflict. The Defense Ministry reports clashes in at least 10 provinces daily on average.

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

“There are clashes in 24 to 27 provinces every day. Security forces casualties have increased, but it is not as much as the Taliban,” said Khan Agha Rezaee, the head of the internal security commission of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of Parliament.

The clashes have intensified on multiple fronts as heavy fighting was reported in Faryab in the last 24 hours in which at least a dozen security force members were killed, a member of the provincial council said.

“The figures provided by Afghan forces on Taliban casualties and by the Taliban on Afghan forces casualties are not accurate,” said Ilyas Wahdat, former Paktika governor.

Meanwhile, the Taliban rejected these figures. Casualties of security forces and Taliban are usually not stated in public with exact figures, and in most cases, they are not confirmed by independent sources, reported Tolo News. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Al Qaeda leadership resides in Af-Pak region, reveals UN report

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Al Qaeda leadership resides in Af-Pak region, reveals UN report

Al Qaeda leadership resides in Af-Pak region, reveals UN report

It also said that the Taliban and Al Qaeda remain closely aligned and show no indication of breaking ties as the United States of America and allied forces complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 2021, reports Ateet Sharma

A United Nations Security Council report released earlier this week has once again established that a significant part of the leadership of Al Qaeda resides in the Afghanistan and Pakistan border region and that the terrorist organisation, founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, and like-minded militants continue to celebrate developments in Afghanistan as a victory for the Taliban’s cause and thus for global radicalism.

The 12th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Taliban and other associated individuals and entities constituting a threat to the peace stability and security of Afghanistan reveals that the security situation in Afghanistan remains as tense and challenging as at any time in recent history, with uncertainty surrounding the peace process and the Taliban proving resilient in the face of pressure from Afghan security forces.

It also said that the Taliban and Al Qaeda remain closely aligned and show no indication of breaking ties as the United States of America and allied forces complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 2021.

Al-Qaeda militant(WIKIPEDIA)

What remains worrisome is that the Taliban’s messaging remains uncompromising, and it shows no sign of reducing the level of violence in Afghanistan to facilitate peace negotiations with the government of Afghanistan and other Afghan stakeholders.

“The Taliban’s intent appears to be to continue to strengthen its military position as leverage. It believes that it can achieve almost all of its objectives by negotiation or, if necessary, by force. It is reported to be responsible for the great majority of targeted assassinations that have become a feature of the violence in Afghanistan and that appear to be undertaken with the objective of weakening the capacity of the government and intimidating civil society,” the report said.

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According to Member States, the Taliban now contest or control an estimated 50 to 70 per cent of Afghan territory outside of urban centres, while also exerting direct control over 57 per cent of district administrative centres. They (the Member States) have also reported that a significant part of Al Qaeda leadership remains based in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the core is joined by and works closely with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

“Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent operates under the Taliban umbrella from Kandahar, Helmand (notably Baramcha) and Nimruz Provinces. The group reportedly consists of primarily Afghan and Pakistani nationals, but also individuals from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Its current leader is Osama Mahmood (not listed), who succeeded the late Asim Umar (not listed). The group is reported to be such an “organic” or essential part of the insurgency that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to separate it from its Taliban allies,” the report says.

The UN team warns that it will be important for the international community to monitor any sign of Afghanistan again becoming a destination for extremists with both regional and international agendas.

Though, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN Monitoring Team was unable to visit Afghanistan during the period under review (May 2020 to April 2021), but it held numerous video teleconferences with senior Afghan officials in Kabul. They also interacted regularly with the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in New York and received information from a wide range of other Member States on issues relevant to the Security Council Committee.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Another district in eastern province falls to Taliban

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India sets up Mother and Child Hospital in Bhutan

Construction begins for Mother and Child Hospital in Bhutan(Twitter)

The construction of 65-bedded Mother and Child hospital is expected to be completed by the middle of 2023…reports Asian Lite News

Reiterating India’s support to the health sector of Bhutan, construction of a 65-bedded Mother and Child Hospital funded through New Delhi’s grant commenced in Mongar on Friday.

“Construction begins for Mother and Child Hospital, Mongar! Salang Tendrel (Ground Breaking) for constructing the 65 bedded Mother and Child hospital held today at Mongar. By June 2023, the state of the art hospital would cater to the eastern part of Bhutan,” said a tweet by the Indian Embassy.

The ground breaking ceremony marked the joyous occasion of the birth anniversary of Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, said a release of the Embassy of India in Bhutan.

The hospital that will be equipped with advance medical equipments from Intensive Care Units and Operation Units is being funded at a cost of Rs. 681 million through Government of India Project Tied assistance for the 12th Five Year Plan.

Construction begins for Mother and Child Hospital in Bhutan(Twitter)
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India is providing support to the tune of Rs. 4.09 billion for Bhutan’s health sector for the 12th Five Year Plan of Bhutan. This includes the construction of the Deothang Hospital, Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu and 20 bedded Dechencholing Hospital and Nganglam Hospital.

Apart from supporting construction of hospitals, India is funding Bhutan’s Vector Borne Disease Programme, Health Flagship Programme and the programme for procurement of medical equipment for the JDWNRH, Thimphu.

To help Bhutan fight Covid-19, India had earlier provided PPE kits, N95 masks medicines and vaccines.

Last month, six portable x-ray machines were gifted by India to Bhutan. India is also helping Bhutan strengthen its clinical trial research capacity.(India News Network)

ALSO READ: India clears purchase of indigenous air defence guns

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‘BIMSTEC a promising regional group in Bay of Bengal’

BIMSTEC has emerged as a promising regional grouping to serve the shared interests of the member states, said PM Modi…reports Asian Lite News

Impressing upon the need to continue to work together in the fight against the pandemic and in collectively overcoming its consequences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended warm greetings on the 24th BIMSTEC Day.

“The people of BIMSTEC are bound by shared history and age old cultural and civillisational linkages. As a manifestation of collective will, BIMSTEC has emerged as a promising regional grouping to fulfil the common aspirations of the people and serve the shared interests of the member states,” he said in his message on the occasion.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven Member States around the Bay of Bengal region viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.

PM Modi extends warm greetings on 24th BIMSTEC Day(Twitter)

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi on Sunday tweeted Prime Minister Modi’s Message on the occasion of BIMSTEC Day.

“PM Narendra Modi extends warm greetings on the occasion of 24th BIMSTEC Day. PM Modi acknowledged the progress made by the grouping on several fronts in recent years. He stressed the need to continue to work together in the fight against the pandemic,” Bagchi said in the tweet.

BIMSTEC(India News Network)
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Noting that regional cooperation under BIMSTEC framework has intensified substantially in recent years, PM Modi stated that progress has been made on several fronts including the finalization of the BIMSTEC Master plan for transport connectivity and the text of the BIMSTEC Charter.

Reckoning that the observance of BIMSTEC Day is amidst a difficult phase of the COVID pandemic and an unprecendented challenge and testing time, he called for the need to continue to work together in the fight against the pandemic and in collectively overcoming its consequences.

Commending Sri Lanka, the current Chair of BIMSTEC for providing able leadership to the grouping during this time, the Indian Prime Minister welcomed the new Secretary General of BIMSTEC, Tenzin Lekphell from Bhutan and appreciated the important role played by the BIMSTEC Secretariat.

“I am confident that BIMSTEC will continue to grow and scale new heights of cooperation in our common pursuit of building a secure, peaceful and prosperous Bay of Bengal region,” he said.

Joining the Indian Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also underlined the enormous potential of Bay of Bengal cooperation through a tweet message.

“On BIMSTEC Day, underline the enormous potential of Bay of Bengal cooperation. Realising that helps bridge South & South East Asia. Will also contribute to our Act East and Indo-Pacific policies,” the EAM said.(India News Network)

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Cargo ship fire: Dead animals drift ashore in SL

Photo taken on June 2, 2021 shows part of the X Press Pearl, a container ship burnt near the Colombo Port, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Sri Lanka Air Force Media/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

The dead marine creatures were found on beaches from Puttalam in the northwest to Mirissa in the south….report Asian Lite News

Sri Lankan government officials have said that bodies of more than 10 turtles, a dolphin, fish and birds have washed up on the country’s beaches after the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship.

In a statement on Sunday, the Department of Wildlife Conservation officials said an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of death of these marine species, reports Xinhua news agency.

The dead marine creatures were found on beaches from Puttalam in the northwest to Mirissa in the south.

Two turtles with injuries were also found on the Unawatuna beach in the south, according to the media reports.

“Most of the turtles that were found dead on the beaches off Panadura and Wellawatte had their carapaces broken. One dead turtle at the Unawatuna beach was found with injures,” an official involved in the investigation told the local Daily Mirror newspaper.

Photo taken on June 2, 2021 shows part of the X Press Pearl, a container ship burnt near the Colombo Port, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Sri Lanka Air Force Media/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

A link between the marine life death and the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship is expected to be the focus in the investigation.

The Singapore-flagged vessel was carrying 1,486 containers with 25 tonnes of nitric acid and several other chemicals and cosmetics when arriving from India on May 15.

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It sent out a distress call while being close to the Colombo port on May 20 and soon caught fire resulting in Sri Lanka Navy dispatching vessels in efforts to fight the fire onboard.

Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority has said the burning of the vessel caused a massive environmental disaster as many beaches were damaged by the debris washing ashore.

Photo taken on June 2, 2021 shows part of the X Press Pearl, a container ship burnt near the Colombo Port, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Sri Lanka Air Force Media/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

The government has said a large number of marine life have been killed as a result of the pollution caused by the fire, while the fisheries department has imposed a temporary ban on fishing from the southern to the western coast.

A criminal probe is presently underway into the cause of the fire on board the X-Press Pearl ship.

Earlier Sunday, police said investigators have received the ship’s voyage data recorder which contains all the communication dialogues between the captain, the ship’s parent company and the local shipping agent.

The Navy said an oil spill has not been detected from the burnt vessel, which was about 18.52 km away from the Colombo port.

ALSO READ: Floods strike Covid-hit Sri Lanka

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Floods strike Covid-hit Sri Lanka

People wade through water in suburban areas of Colombo, Sri Lanka, . (Xinhua/Gayan Sameera/IANS)

South-west monsoon rains settling in the country’s western, southern and central parts resulted in heavy showers and landslides …reports Asian Lite News

Heavy rains followed by landslides and flooding in Sri Lanka killed at least 14 people and has affected over 250,000 more in the past two days with warnings that adverse weather conditions will continue, officials said on Sunday.

South-west monsoon rains settling in the country’s western, southern and central parts resulted in heavy showers and landslides in several areas, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) officials said.

A family of four was killed on Saturday when they were buried in a landslide in Aranayaka, some 90 kms east of Colombo, reports dpa news agency.

The other victims also died in landslides or were swept away by flooded rivers or streams, the DMC said.

The majority of the affected residents were able to remain in their homes while some 20,000 people were evacuated, the officials said.

People wade through water in suburban areas of Colombo, Sri Lanka, . (Xinhua/Gayan Sameera/IANS)

Meanwhile water levels of two of the main rivers flowing through the Western Province, which includes the capital, continued to rise as rain kept falling on Sunday.

The adverse weather conditions were an additional burden on authorities already busy enforcing island-wide travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The South Asian country has reported an average of 40 Covid-19-related deaths and 3,000 positive cases per day over the past week.

Travel restrictions were originally due to be lifted on Monday, but have instead been extended by a week.

ALSO READ: Sri Lanka extends nationwide travel curbs

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2 drones shot down above Iraq base housing US troops

2 drones shot down above Iraq base housing US troops

The US military’s C-RAM defence system was activated to shoot down the drones above the Ain al-Assad base, located in Iraq’s western desert…reports Asian Lite News

The Iraqi army said Sunday two drones were destroyed above a base housing US troops, one month after the same base was targeted by an armed drone.

The US military’s C-RAM defence system was activated to shoot down the drones above the Ain al-Assad base, located in Iraq’s western desert, the Iraqi military said.

Several hours earlier a rocket was shot down above Baghdad airport, “without causing casualties or damage,” said Colonel Wayne Marotto, spokesman for the US-led military coalition in Iraq.

The coalition was sent to Iraq to help the country’s military fight the Daesh jihadist group — a campaign that Baghdad declared won in late 2017.

The US consistently blames Iran-linked Iraqi factions for rocket attacks against Iraqi installations housing its personnel.

Since the start of this year there have been 39 attacks against US interests in Iraq.

The vast majority have been bombs against logistics convoys, while 14 were rocket attacks, some of them claimed by pro-Iran factions, who aim to pressure Washington into withdrawing all their troops.

The use of drones against American interests by these factions is a relatively new tactic, although the US military has previously accused pro-Iran Iraqi groups of helping Yemen’s Huthi rebels carry out attacks using such devices against Saudi interests.

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ASEAN News Asia News

Indonesia urged not to push back Rohingya

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also appealed to ensure thet the refugees are not pushed back…reports Anwesha Bhaumik

Human rights groups have appealed to Indonesia not to push back the 81 Rohingya refugees who landed on the country’s Aceh coast in a ramshackle boat.

“The 81 refugees have landed on Idaman Island in Aceh. We are told they are okay,” said Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, that has researched the Rohingya issue for decades.

But speaking to IANS, Lewa said: “I am keeping my fingers crossed and just hope Indonesia will not push them back or hand them over to Myanmar, like Malaysia has often done.”

“Until we know for sure that they are not being pushed back, the Rohingya are not 100 per cent safe there.”

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also appealed to ensure thet the refugees are not pushed back.

“ASEAN leaders, having done almost nothing for years, should dramatically rethink their approach to the Rohingya crisis,” said Brad Adams, HRW’s Asia director.

“A coordinated regional response is desperately needed to protect Rohingya in Myanmar, in refugee camps abroad, and at sea, while pressing Myanmar to take the steps necessary for them to return home safely.”

Numerous boats, each with hundreds of Rohingya asylum seekers, have been leaving overcrowded refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh for Southeast Asian destinations every year.

Malaysian and Thai authorities have been pushing the boats back to sea, leaving hundreds of refugees in precarious condition, without access to adequate food and water for months.

Refugees in the Kutupalong Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in July, 2018. (Photo: UN/IANS)

The boat that landed in Aceh had sailed on February 11 from Cox’s Bazar carrying 90 Rohingya refugees, most of them women and children, with the hope of reaching Malaysia.

But the boat’s engine failed four days after leaving Cox’s Bazar and it ran adrift until Indian Coast Guards rescued it.

Of the 90 people who set out on the voyage, eight were found dead by the Indian Coast Guards who later helped repair the vessel.

Indian authorities provided food and essential supplies to survivors but refused to let them set foot on their shores.

Bangladesh, too, denied re-entry to 81 survivors.

Over the last three months, international aid agencies and family members of those onboard have made repeated appeals to India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Malaysia for information about the fate of the survivors on the boat.

Dwi Prafitria, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Indonesia, has said that the refugees currently don’t have a place to stay.

“We have to coordinate with the local government.”

Authorities in Indonesia, including local police and immigration, were not immediately available for comment.

More than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are living in teeming camps in Bangladesh, including tens of thousands who fled after a deadly crackdown in 2017.

Human traffickers often lure Rohingya refugees, persuading them to travel on rickety vessels with the promise of work in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia.

ALSO READ: Myanmar junta chief in Indonesia for talks

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Over 100 Chinese incursions reported near Senkaku islands

Chinese vessels sailed through the contiguous zone around the islands in the East China Sea on Friday for the 112th straight day…reports Asian Lite News

Chinese ships have made a record number of 112 incursions into waters around the disputed Senkaku islands, which are also claimed by Japan.

Chinese vessels sailed through the contiguous zone around the islands in the East China Sea on Friday for the 112th straight day, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

They have entered the contiguous zone every day since mid-February, surpassing the previous record of 111 consecutive days from April to August of 2020, Nikkei Asia reported.

China also intruded into Japan’s territorial sea four days in April and five days in May. From January to May, China entered the waters on a total of 20 days.

This has led to a number of incidents where Chinese ships have approached Japanese fishing vessels.

Chinese-President-and-General-Secretary-of-Chinese-Communist-Party-Xi-Jinping-XinhuaJu-PengIANS-

On May 29, four Chinese coast guard vessels came close to three Japanese fishing boats, prompting Japan’s coast guard patrol boats to secure their safety.

The islands, which China claims and calls the Diaoyu, are about 170 km northeast of Taiwan.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said these actions by Chinese ships “are unacceptable” at a news briefing on Friday. “We will take all possible measures for vigilant monitoring and intelligence gathering,” he said.

Chinese navy warships have also been spotted around the Nansei Islands, a chain stretching southwest from Japan toward Taiwan.

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Japan controls the Senkaku Islands, however, China and Taiwan continue to claim them.

Tokyo maintains the islands are an inherent part of its territory as per history and international law.

Reasserting claims of sovereignty over Senkaku Islands, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday said that Diaoyu Island (Senkaku) and its affiliated islands are inherent Chinese territory.

Japanese-Prime-Minister-Yoshihide-Suga

“The Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands are inherent Chinese territory. The patrol and law enforcement activities by China Coast Guard in these waters are legitimate and lawful measures to safeguard sovereignty,” said Wang.

He also urged Japan to abide by the four-point principled consensus between China and Japan and jointly uphold peace and stability in the East China Sea.

The four-point principled consensus reached between China and Japan refers to a 2014 agreement that included a promise to prevent the deterioration of the situation in the East China Sea through dialogue and consultation.

China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing’s concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions.

Recently, tensions between China and Japan have escalated amid increased activity by Beijing in the disputed East China Sea.

This comes after Beijing implements a new law that allows the country’s quasi-military force to use weapons against foreign ships that China sees as illegally entering its waters. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Maritime Militia leads Chinese expansion in South China sea

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Chinese aggression intensifies in Taiwan air defence zone

A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ on Thursday morning…reports Asian Lite News

In yet another intrusion by Beijing amid escalating tensions in Taiwan Strait, a Chinese warplane entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 electronic warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ on Thursday morning, according to the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND). It was the first intrusion of this month.

A total of 29 Chinese planes were tracked in the identification zone in May, including 25 slow-flying turboprops, two fighter bombers, and two fighter jets, Taiwan News reported.

Since mid-September of last year, Beijing has stepped up its gray-zone tactics by regularly sending planes into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most instances occurring in the southwest corner of the zone and usually consisting of one to three slow-flying turboprop planes.

2 PLA aircraft entered Taiwan’s southwest(Twitter)

Over the past few months, Taiwan has reported incursion by Chinese warplanes into ADIZ almost daily.

Last month, Taiwanese premier Su Tseng-chang termed the incursion by Chinese warplanes into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADZ) as “unnecessary” and “thoughtless”.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. China has threatened that “Taiwan’s independence” means war.

Tensions in the Taiwan Strait are escalating. This focus on the strait comes after China ramped up political pressure and military threats against Taiwan, with almost daily incursions into Taipei’s air defence identification zone.

The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. It is one of the most heavily policed strips of water in the world, patrolled by both Chinese and Taiwanese navy and coastguard vessels.

The strait is in international waters, however, China claims Taiwan as its own territory and regards the US Navy’s presence in the area as a show of support for the island’s democratic government. (ANI)

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