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Thousands of Afghans flee their homes as fighting erupts

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Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes in Helmand province as fierce fighting between government forces and the Taliban erupted after the US military began withdrawing its remaining troops.

AFP reports Afghan forces pushed back a string of insurgent attacks on checkpoints across the southern province, where the US military on Sunday handed over a base to government forces as part of its formal pullout that began on 1 May.

About 1,000 families have fled their homes to escape the fighting that erupted on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, and some other parts of the province, Sayed Mohammad Ramin, the region’s director for refugees told AFP.

He said the families had taken refuge in Lashkar Gah and had come from areas where fighting was intense in the past two days.

“We will survey their needs tomorrow, but many who still have not found shelter in the city need urgent assistance,” Ramin told AFP.

The defence ministry said government forces had killed more than 100 Taliban fighters in Helmand in the past 24 hours when the insurgents attacked some checkpoints on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah.

Another 22 al-Qaida fighters from Pakistan were also killed in the fighting, the ministry said.

Officials said the Taliban fighters initially captured some checkpoints but they were retaken by government forces who pushed back the insurgents, AFP reported.

“The enemy has now lost all the areas it had captured and suffered heavy casualties,” Attaullah Afghan, head of the Helmand provincial council, told AFP.

The Taliban said dozens of Afghan troops were killed in the fighting. Both sides are known to exaggerate casualties inflicted on the other.

UK-based medical care provider Emergency said it is receiving large numbers of “war wounded patients” at its surgical centre in Lashkar Gah due to widespread fighting in the area since 1 May.

It said the hospital received 106 patients, of which 65 had to be admitted.

“These are very difficult days in Lashkar Gah … We have also put beds in the physiotherapy room to accommodate all the injured patients,” Viktor Urosevic, medical coordinator at the hospital, said in a statement issued by Emergency.

Emergency’s Afghanistan coordinator, Marco Puntin, said fighting in Helmand was not an isolated event.

“We have witnessed an escalation of conflict across Afghanistan,” he said.

Fighting was also reported in several other provinces since the US military formally began pulling out its remaining 2,500 troops, AFP reported.

The Pentagon has downplayed the fighting.

“We’ve seen nothing thus far that has affected the drawdown, or had any significant impact on the mission at hand in Afghanistan,” US Department of Defence spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.

Nearly 20 years after US and allied Natotroops invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Taliban government as they pursued al-Qaida after the September 11, 2001 attacks, President Joe Biden ordered in April the final withdrawal.

On Tuesday, US officials said the military has completed two to six percent of the withdrawal.

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India condemns Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan

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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has condemned recent airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan’s territory.

In a statement, Ministry spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaiswal said the attacks resulted in the deaths of several civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

He described the strikes as yet another act of aggression by Pakistan, which continues to oppose the idea of an independent Afghanistan.

India reiterated that Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be fully respected.

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14 Pakistani soldiers killed after military post falls along Durand line: MoD

The statement added that Afghan forces destroyed one armored tank and a military vehicle belonging to Pakistani troops during the fighting.

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Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that Afghan defensive forces captured a Pakistani military post along the Durand Line in eastern Afghanistan following clashes between the two sides.

In a statement, the ministry said the operation was launched in response to what it described as “crimes of the Pakistani military regime” in border areas of Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

According to the ministry, 14 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 11 others wounded during the operation.

The statement added that Afghan forces destroyed one armored tank and a military vehicle belonging to Pakistani troops during the fighting.

Defense officials emphasized that Afghanistan’s forces remain prepared to respond to any threats along the Durand Line.

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UN Security Council to vote on extension of UNAMA mission in Afghanistan

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has previously criticized UNAMA’s activities, claiming that the mission’s reports misrepresent the situation in Afghanistan.

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The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Monday regarding the extension of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), with a draft resolution proposing a three-month extension until June 17.

The debate over the mission’s extension has divided key members of the Council. China initially called for a one-year extension, while the United States has advocated for a shorter duration. The U.S. position is based on the belief that a three-month extension would allow the Council to conduct a comprehensive review of UNAMA’s mandate before committing to a longer-term renewal.

A statement from the Security Council explained that Washington views this as an opportunity to reassess the mission’s appropriateness and effectiveness. “This mission is one of the most costly political special missions of the United Nations and operates in a highly complex environment. Therefore, the Council needs to assess whether the mission remains appropriate and effective,” the statement read.

The draft resolution also emphasizes growing concerns about human rights in Afghanistan, particularly the ongoing restrictions placed on women and girls. It calls on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to lift these limitations and stresses the need for continued support in areas such as development, counterterrorism, and mine clearance. UNAMA’s field presence is also considered vital for providing critical humanitarian support and monitoring developments on the ground.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has previously criticized UNAMA’s activities, claiming that the mission’s reports misrepresent the situation in Afghanistan, painting a negative and misleading image to the international community. As the vote approaches, the future of the mission—and its ability to effectively address Afghanistan’s ongoing challenges—hangs in the balance.

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