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Fuel tanker explosions on Afghan-Iran border spotted from space

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Two explosions of fuel tankers at the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan’s western province of Herat and Iran were powerful enough to be spotted from space by NASA satellites on Saturday afternoon. 
 
One of the explosions happened at about 1.10pm Afghanistan time and the other about half an hour later at 1.42pm local time. 
 
According to local officials the fire started at about midday when a fuel tanker exploded at the customs facility at the border crossing. 
 
This caused a massive fire that consumed more than 500 trucks carrying natural gas and fuel, sources and Iranian state media indicated. 
 
Younus Qazizada, the head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said the fire had caused millions of dollars in damage. “Preliminary investigations show that more than $50 million of damage has been caused by the fire so far,” he said.
 
The Islam Qala border crossing is around 120km west of the city of Herat, and is a major transit route between Afghanistan and Iran.
 
The US allows Afghanistan to import fuel and oil from Iran as part of a special concession that exempts Kabul from US sanctions against Iran. 
 
It wasn’t clear early Sunday what caused the blast but officials said the fire was being investigated. The exact number of casualties was also not known although at least a dozen people had been taken to hospitals on Saturday night for injuries sustained in the fire. 
 
Wahid Qatali, Herat’s provincial governor, told The Associated Press on Saturday night: “For the time being, we can’t even talk about the casualties.”
 
The intensity of the flames meant ambulances were having trouble reaching the wounded or getting close to the site of the blast, said Mohammad Rafiq Shirzy, spokesman for the regional hospital in Herat city. 

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Traffic police receive new cars

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The Ministry of Interior has announced the delivery of several new, modern cars to the General Directorate of Traffic Police, replacing the older fleet that consisted mostly of trucks.

According to a ministry statement, the new vehicles, equipped with special traffic police colors, markings, and modern equipment, are expected to play a key role in maintaining traffic order in cities and on main roads, preventing accidents, and providing faster services to the public.

 

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Azerbaijan releases 14 Afghan prisoners

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Azerbaijan has released 14 Afghan nationals from its prisons, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

The ministry said in a statement that the release happened following efforts by Afghanistan’s embassy in Baku.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation to Azerbaijan and relevant authorities for their cooperation and humanitarian action. It also reaffirmed that the IEA will continue to follow up on and resolve the cases of Afghan prisoners.

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Khalilzad says U.S. ‘significantly satisfied’ with IEA’s fight against terrorism

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Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says Washington is largely satisfied with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) efforts against terrorism, though progress in broader relations remains hindered by the issue of prisoners.

In an interview with NDTV, Khalilzad said the United States views the detention of at least two American citizens in Afghanistan as the primary obstacle to improving ties.

Khalilzad highlighted what he described as a “significant degree of satisfaction” in the U.S. assessment of the IEA’s counterterrorism commitments under the Doha Agreement. He said the IEA continue to fight Daesh, a group they have long considered an enemy. Many Daesh militants, he added, have been pushed out of Afghanistan and are now in Pakistan.

At the same time, Khalilzad said concerns remain regarding human rights and the political role of non-IEA Afghans.

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