The Taliban tightened the noose around northern Afghanistan Sunday, capturing three more provincial capitals as they take their fight to the cities after seizing much of the countryside in recent months. The insurgents have snatched up five provincial capitals in Afghanistan since Friday in a lightning offensive that appears to have overwhelmed government forces. Fighting […]
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Taliban warn of more targeted attacks as Afghan forces defend besieged cities
The Taliban warned Wednesday of more attacks targeting Afghan government leaders, a day after the defence minister escaped an assassination attempt and as the insurgents fought to take control of a string of besieged cities across the country. A bomb-and-gun attack on Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi Tuesday night brought the war to the capital for […]
Pakistan says Afghans must compromise for peace settlement
Pakistan’s national security advisor said Wednesday that Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban must both compromise and reach a peace settlement as the insurgents make rapid gains amid a US troop withdrawal. Wrapping up a week of talks in Washington, Moeed Yusuf played down the level of influence on the Taliban played by Pakistan, which was […]
Turkey pushes back at US plan to resettle Afghans
Ankara has criticised a US plan to use third countries such as Turkey to resettle thousands of Afghans who risk being targeted by Taliban insurgents over their US links. “It’s unacceptable to seek a solution to the problem in our country without our country’s consent,” the foreign ministry said in a statement issued late Tuesday. […]
Four killed, 20 wounded in Afghan capital attack: officials
At least four people were killed and 20 others wounded on Tuesday in a coordinated attack in the Afghan capital that targeted the country’s defence minister and some lawmakers, security officials said. “There were four martyrs and 20 wounded” in the attack, a security official told AFP, after a wave of explosions and gunfire rocked […]
UN condemns ‘dangerous’ claims of bias against aid workers in Tigray
The UN’s humanitarian chief on Tuesday condemned “dangerous” accusations by Ethiopian government officials that aid workers were biased in favour of — and even arming — rebel forces in war-hit Tigray. Martin Griffiths also called for access to allow desperately needed aid into the northern region where the UN says hundreds of thousands of people […]
US condemns attacks bearing ‘hallmark’ of Taliban
The United States condemned blasts that shook Kabul on Tuesday, suggesting it was likely they were carried out by Taliban insurgents. A car bomb explosion followed by several blasts and rapid gunfire rocked the Afghan capital, not far from the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses several embassies, including the US mission. “We’re not in […]
Commandos deployed as Afghan forces defend cities from Taliban attacks
Afghan forces battled Monday to stop a first major city from falling to the Taliban following weekend offensives by the insurgents on urban centres in a sharp escalation. Taliban fighters assaulted at least three provincial capitals overnight — Lashkar Gah, Kandahar and Herat — after a weekend of heavy fighting that saw thousands of civilians […]
Afghan forces battle to thwart Taliban assaults on key cities
Afghan government forces struggled against Taliban assaults on several major cities Sunday as the insurgents stepped up a nationwide offensive that saw a key airport in the south come under rocket fire overnight. Hundreds of commandos were deployed to the western city of Herat while authorities in the southern city of Lashkar Gah called for […]
Iran rejects Israel’s ‘baseless accusations’ over ship attack
Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday rejected “baseless accusations” after Israel blamed its arch-foe for a deadly attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman. “The Zionist regime … must stop such baseless accusations — and it is not their first time to direct such accusations at Iran,” ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters […]