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US forces and NDS target al-Qaeda in Helmand and Nimroz
US forces and Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) launched two raids against al-Qaeda in Helmand and Nimroz provinces over the past several days, killing at least eight operatives and capturing three more, the Long War Journal reported.
According to the report, the US military launched an airstrike on Thursday that targeted a Taliban meeting in Nad Ali district in Helmand province.
At least 40 insurgents were reportedly killed or wounded during the airstrike, including Abdullah Baloch, the Taliban’s purported shadow governor of Farah province.
Eight members of al-Qaeda are also said to have been killed in the Nad Ali airstrike, the Long War Journal reported.
US intelligence officials meanwhile told Long War Journal that Baloch is what is known as a “dual hatted” commander: he leads members of both the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the NDS captured three al-Qaeda leaders during an operation in the southwestern province of Nimroz. The NDS identified the al-Qaeda leaders as Mustafa, the leader of al-Qaeda’s Amar Bil Marof Affairs, or its prevention of virtue and vice committee, Hafiz Abdul Aziz, and Hayatullah, the Long War Journal reported.
All three are Afghan citizens and have been involved with attacks on the Kamal Khan Dam as well as Zaranj City, the capital of Nimroz province.
According to the NDS, Mustafa and Hafiz Mohammad recently lived in Iran, and carried out terrorist attacks under the leadership of Hafiz Ghulamullah, deputy intelligence head of al-Qaeda in Nimroz.
Long War Journal stated that al-Qaeda leaders and operatives are known to shelter in Iran, and often cross the border to operate inside Afghanistan.
Israel recently killed Abu Mohammad al Masri (Adbullah Ahmed Abdullah), al-Qaeda’s second in command who was wanted by the US government, in an ambush in Tehran, Iran.
Long War Journal reported that despite repeated targeting, killing, and capturing of al-Qaeda leaders and operatives, the Taliban maintains that the terror group does not operate in Afghanistan. The Taliban maintains that al-Qaeda left Afghanistan after the US invasion in 2001.
The Taliban maintains this lie because the February agreement with the United States stipulates that al-Qaeda cannot plot attacks against the West. In exchange, the US agreed to withdraw all forces by April 2021, Long War Journal reported.
The US government has not held the Taliban to account for its support of al-Qaeda.
Hundreds of former U.S. officials are calling on Washington to cancel a reported plan to relocate Afghan refugees from Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In an open letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, more than 600 former civilian and military officials, along with around 100 organizations, urged the administration to stop the proposed transfer. The letter was sent to Marco Rubio.
The signatories argue that the Afghan nationals in question were brought to Qatar by the United States to complete legal immigration procedures after undergoing extensive security vetting. The letter states that while the individuals were cleared for resettlement in the United States, they are now being considered for relocation to Congo, a country for which they were never screened.
“Those individuals were vetted and approved for the United States, not for the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the letter reads.
According to the report, more than 1,100 Afghan allies and their family members are currently being held at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar under U.S. supervision. Around 800 of them have already completed all security checks and received authorization to travel to the United States. More than half are women and children, and many have remained in transit limbo for over 15 months.
The situation has drawn criticism from former officials and policy observers, who describe the proposed relocation as a betrayal of Afghan allies who supported U.S. missions and risked their lives during the war in Afghanistan. Critics also warn that the move could damage U.S. credibility with future partners.
Several members of the U.S. Congress had previously expressed opposition to the proposal, cautioning that it could significantly undermine trust in the United States among its allies.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that no country should interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, stressing that it is up to Afghans themselves to bring about any change in their country.
In a post on X, Durrani said Afghans should be “left to their own devices” and that they would eventually “find the way out” of their challenges.
However, he warned that instability inside Afghanistan could have negative consequences for neighbouring countries, adding that Afghan leaders and their supporters should take responsibility to address such risks.
Durrani described his remarks as a simple expression of goodwill and best wishes for the Afghan people and their future.
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Uzbekistan and Japan discuss joint projects for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development
The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, has met with Tetsuya Yamada, Director General of the South Asia Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan-related development projects.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides focused on the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the Japanese side praised Uzbekistan’s “pragmatic approach” toward Afghanistan, as well as the infrastructure developed in the border city of Termez.
Japan also expressed interest in utilizing the Termez facilities for future humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, private sector development, and counter-narcotics efforts.
Both sides emphasized that such cooperation is aimed at improving the living conditions and overall well-being of the Afghan people.
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