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Southern provinces witness intense battles as Taliban pushes for more ground

Published

5 years ago

August 2, 2021

Helmand, Kandahar and Herat have been hit hard these past few days by intense battles between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban, officials confirmed.

One of the hardest hit has been Herat, which has witnessed two days of solid fighting around the city itself, while heavy attacks have been launched on villages to the west of the city.

As fighting continued to rage Sunday night, officials said clashes were ongoing but had intensified in the west of the city.

Officials said in the past 24 hours, at least 30 people were wounded in the battles. This included soldiers and civilians.

Doctors at the Herat Hospital said the bodies of five people had been brought into the facility.

Provincial officials said more than a dozen Taliban fighters had been killed in clashes during the course of Sunday, including a prominent commander named Sadam.

According to the officials, the Taliban launched the attacks on the city from the western districts of Herat, mostly from Ghoryan and Zinda Jan districts.

Kandahar meanwhile also witnessed heavy fighting but security officials said Taliban attacks in Takhta Pul district were repulsed by security forces and air support.

Officials said the Taliban attacked at around 2 am Monday in the Mel area between Takhta Pul and Spin Boldak districts.

Hashem Regwal, district police chief, said 37 Taliban had been killed and three Humvee tanks had been seized from the Taliban.

The Taliban have not yet commented.

Sources meanwhile said US warplanes were used to push back the Taliban and targeted and destroyed a Taliban artillery facility in the center of Panjwai district.

US forces have not yet commented.

In Helmand, sources said that the provincial governor’s office, police headquarters, NDS office, and PD1 police station in the city are under siege by the Taliban.

Mohammad Jami, a Helmand civil activist, stated: “situation is very critical in Helmand, Taliban have attacked the Police Command, Governor’s office, NDS office, and Helmand prison.”

Meanwhile, the 215th Maiwand Military Corps said a Taliban offensive on Lashkargah prison was repulsed.

The corps said a group of at least 40 Taliban launched an offensive on the city’s prison on Sunday night but that the group was taken down by security forces.

According to the corps, 38 Taliban were killed in the clash and two others were wounded.

The Ministry of Defense also said the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), with the support of the air force, targeted the Taliban on Sunday night in a joint operation in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province.

At least 36 Taliban were killed and 19 others were wounded in this operation, the MoD said.

The ministry said that three vehicles, one of which contained three million Pakistani rupees, were destroyed in the airstrike.

The Taliban have confirmed the clashes in Lashkargah, but said their fighters are advancing.

Related Topics:Afghanistan ANA clashes featured MoD Taliban War

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UNAMA calls for greater transparency and accountability in Afghanistan’s security institutions

The report also says fear of reprisals, a lack of trust in authorities and barriers to accessing institutions discourage people from reporting alleged misconduct.

Published

9 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Ariana News

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to strengthen transparency, oversight and accountability within the country’s security institutions.

In a new 38-page report, UNAMA examines measures taken by the IEA since August 2021 to oversee security institutions and address misconduct by security personnel.

The report says the authorities have taken some steps to promote discipline and oversight, including issuing directives, establishing internal monitoring units and creating new bodies tasked with addressing misconduct by security personnel.

However, UNAMA says these measures have not been accompanied by sufficient public information about complaints, investigations and disciplinary or judicial actions.

The report identifies several bodies responsible for oversight, including the Security and Filtration Commission, the High Directorate of Supervision and Monitoring of Decrees and Edicts, the Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Commission for Hearing Complaints, and the Supreme Court.

“The limited amount of public information on complaints received, investigations conducted, and disciplinary or judicial actions taken by relevant de facto bodies undermine confidence and weaken deterrence,” said Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge.

UNAMA documented cases in which IEA authorities arrested and investigated security personnel accused of misconduct and referred some cases to military courts. However, the mission said many complaints reportedly remain unresolved.

The report also says fear of reprisals, a lack of trust in authorities and barriers to accessing institutions discourage people from reporting alleged misconduct. Women, in particular, face additional obstacles because of restrictions affecting their daily lives, UNAMA said.

UNAMA has recommended that the IEA authorities establish and consistently enforce clear rules and codes of conduct for security personnel, in line with international standards. It also called for clearer regulations governing the use of force, arrests, detention, searches and crowd control.

The UN mission further urged the authorities to establish safe, accessible and inclusive complaint mechanisms that allow people to report misconduct without fear of retaliation or discrimination, while protecting victims, witnesses and whistleblowers.

UNAMA also called for regular public reporting on complaints, investigations and disciplinary or judicial measures, as well as stronger systems for collecting and maintaining data on misconduct.

According to the report, greater transparency and consistent accountability could improve professionalism, strengthen public trust in security institutions and contribute to better governance, respect for human rights and Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.

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MoU on TAPI gas purchase signed between Afghan Gas and Türkmengaz

Published

11 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Ariana News

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs has announced that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the purchase of gas under the TAPI project was signed on Monday in Torghundi, Herat province, between the state-owned Afghan Gas Company and

Turkmenistan’s Türkmengaz Company, in the presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the National Leader of Turkmenistan.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, the MoU will determine the price of gas, the required volume of gas, and the gas distribution process.

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Baradar discusses TAPI progress with Turkmenistan’s national leader

Published

12 hours ago

August 10, 2026

Ariana News

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, during his visit to Herat province, met with Turkmenistan’s National Leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, in Torghundi on Monday to discuss the latest progress on the TAPI project and future economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

According to a statement from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Baradar said during the meeting that work on the TAPI project in Herat is progressing well and that the remaining work is expected to be completed within the scheduled timeframe.

Baradar urged the Turkmen side to reach an agreement on the price of gas and called for the gas pricing formula to be adjusted in a way that would prevent sharp fluctuations in European markets from affecting gas prices.

He also proposed that the gas agreement be concluded for a long-term period, with simple terms and a flexible mechanism for reviewing the contract.

Baradar called for Turkmenistan’s cooperation in constructing a gas distribution and consumption network in Herat, establishing a joint technical and legal commission to address the remaining issues related to the TAPI project, and making joint efforts to create more job opportunities for Afghans through the project.

He said the TAPI project has strengthened strategic cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and stressed the need for the two sides to work together to expand trade by reopening the Aqina border crossing for oil transit, facilitating Afghan transit goods at the Turkmenbashi port, resolving existing obstacles to the reactivation of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, and rebuilding and expanding the Herat–Torghundi railway.

Baradar also called on Turkmenistan to support major economic projects in Afghanistan in the electricity and transport sectors.

During the meeting, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said relations between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have been strengthened on the basis of goodwill and good-neighborly relations, creating opportunities for cooperation in various fields.

Berd Berdimuhamedov added that Turkmenistan is ready to cooperate not only on extending the TAPI pipeline to Herat, but also on constructing a gas distribution network in the province and launching practical work on the TAP project. He said a number of foreign companies have expressed readiness to invest in the TAP project.

He further said Ashgabat is ready to provide all necessary facilities at Turkmenbashi port for Afghan transit and commercial goods.

He also stressed the need for joint efforts to reactivate the Lapis Lazuli Corridor to boost trade between the two countries and the wider region.

He assured the Afghan side that work on projects already launched in Afghanistan’s electricity and railway sectors would be completed on schedule and at an accelerated pace.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a technical committee led by senior officials to follow up on and implement the TAPI, TAP, fiber-optic and railway projects and ensure that work on these projects progresses more effectively.