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Afghan Forces thwart Taliban offensive on security checkpoints in Kandahar
The Afghan forces thwarted a Taliban attack on security checkpoints in southern Kandahar province, killing at least 15 militants, the Defense Ministry (MoD) confirmed.
The MoD said in a statement Friday that the Afghan forces targeted the militants in Shahwali Kot district of the province on Thursday.
At least 15 insurgents were killed and six more were wounded in the raids, the statement added.
“They were targeted by ANA while they were planning to attack ANDSF checkpoints, and a large amount of their ammunition and weapons were destroyed as well,” the statement read.
The Taliban yet comment in this regard.
It comes as the intra-Afghan negotiation, aimed to find a political settlement for ending the long-term war in Afghanistan, is expected to kick start in the next few days.
The Afghan government on Thursday released the final batch of the Taliban “hard-core” prisoners, except for seven, paving the way for the talks.
Meanwhile, Briefing the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Deborah Lyons, said that “the level of violence on the battlefield remains deeply worrying.”
She called on the two sides to consider a humanitarian ceasefire as one of the first items on the agenda of Intra- Afghan negotiations.
“For Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people, the stakes could not be higher. I urge all member states to amplify this call as the negotiations begin. And the negotiations will begin,” she noted.
“After four decades of war, the people of Afghanistan have more reason than ever to hope that this devastating conflict may come to an end,” the UN envoy said.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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