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Hundreds die in surge of violence in Afghanistan

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More than 100 Afghan security force personnel have been killed over the last two weeks amid a surge of Taliban attacks following Washington’s announcement it would pull all U.S. troops out by Sept. 11, officials said on Thursday.

Senior Afghan officials say the Taliban is putting on a show of force and seeking to gain territory as foreign forces pull out. The Taliban has waged a two-decade-long insurgency since being ousted from power by U.S.-led foreign troops in 2001.

According to two senior security officials, around 120 Afghan security forces personnel, 65 civilians and over 300 Taliban fighters have been killed in the last 15 days of fighting, and scores more wounded across the country.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Tariq Arian, said the Taliban have carried out at least six suicide bombings and several targeted killings and had planted 65 roadside bombs to target government troops.

He added that more than 60 civilians have been killed and 180 injured. He did not provide figures for casualties suffered by security forces, in keeping with usual government practice.

Dozens of Taliban fighters, including several commanders, have been killed during operations, Arian said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the government’s claim the group had inflicted civilian casualties, saying these were caused by air and ground operations by Afghan forces. He did not comment on the deaths of Taliban or security forces.

President Joe Biden earlier this month announced the United States would begin its final military withdrawal on May 1, completing it by Sept. 11. Foreign troops under NATO command will also withdraw, NATO allies agreed.

The White House said on Thursday that American troops had started withdrawing from Afghanistan, confirming comments made over the weekend by a senior U.S. general.

Since Biden’s announcement, violence has increased by nearly a quarter around the country, with Taliban attacks reported in 21 of the 34 provinces, an Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman said.

“We are already in the middle of Taliban’s annual spring offensive but we are prepared and conducting our operations,” said a senior government official, who asked not to be named.

Afghan chief of intelligence Ahmad Zia Siraj said the Taliban have increased violence “to the highest level” in recent days.

Top security leaders flew to the central province of Ghazni on Thursday to assess the situation amid reports of the Taliban amassing fighters in the area to overrun the strategic province.

Peace efforts stalled after the Taliban and the Afghan government began talks in the Qatari capital Doha last year. Washington pushed for a summit in Turkey this month but that was postponed because the Taliban refused to participate, and no new date has been set.

The troop pullout deadline of Sept. 11 is later than a May 1 deadline agreed between the Taliban and United States in Doha last year. The Taliban, which has not attacked foreign troops since the Doha agreement, has called the delay unacceptable.

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Muttaqi and Iranian representative discuss expansion of bilateral relations

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Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Wednesday with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, a representative of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format and discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two sides exchanged views on Afghanistan-Iran relations, regional developments, and ways to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Iran’s engagement with Afghanistan and its constructive participation in regional meetings, emphasizing the need to further expand relations between Kabul and Tehran.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Bahrami stressed the importance of relations between the two countries and shared Iran’s views on regional cooperation, stability, and expanding economic engagement between Afghanistan and Iran.

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British special forces could face prosecution over alleged Afghanistan crimes

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The UK Ministry of Defence identified material suggesting that British service personnel may have committed “serious offences” in Afghanistan, including possible murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, a High Court hearing in London was told.

The information was referred by UK Special Forces (UKSF) to the Defence Serious Crime Command earlier this year, The Independent reported.

According to the court, any criminal investigation into the allegations has been paused pending the outcome of the Afghanistan Inquiry.

The inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is examining allegations that UK special forces unlawfully killed people during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, as well as claims of a subsequent cover-up.

It is also investigating allegations of inadequate investigations by the Royal Military Police.

The latest court proceedings relate to a senior British soldier, identified only as Witness IIA126, who is challenging the inquiry’s decision to restrict his and his lawyers’ access to certain evidence.

His lawyer, Kate Grange KC, argued that the restrictions had prevented the soldier from reviewing evidence concerning an allegation that a person was shot in the head while possibly asleep during a “deliberate detention operation.”

The inquiry is opposing the legal challenge, arguing that the restrictions were necessary to protect the identities of witnesses whose evidence was considered highly sensitive.

Jonathan Glasson KC, representing the inquiry, told the court that the discovery of material potentially indicating serious offences did not mean that any particular individual would necessarily face criminal charges.

The inquiry is expected to continue its examination of the allegations, with a written judgment on the latest legal challenge due at a later date.

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Afghan agriculture minister in Tashkent for international forum

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Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Attaullah Omari, has arrived in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, to attend an international forum on food security and sustainable development.

Omari is visiting Tashkent at the invitation of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and is scheduled to participate in the Global Technical Forum for Landlocked Countries on Food Security and Sustainable Development Goals, being held from October 7 to 8.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture said the visit will provide an opportunity to discuss expanding bilateral and regional cooperation with Uzbekistan in agriculture, irrigation, livestock, trade and investment.

The Afghan delegation is also expected to meet officials and representatives from participating countries to discuss agricultural exports, trade, investment opportunities, and the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise.

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