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Taliban advance on Laghman capital, prison under siege
Taliban militants attacked the Alishing district and Mehtarlam, the capital of Laghman province, sources said Sunday night.
According to the sources, heavy clashes are underway between the Afghan security forces in the provincial capital of Mehtarlam city.
Sources told Ariana News that the provincial prison is under siege and that the Taliban were “shouting via a load speaker and asking the prisoners to escape.”
Security sources from the prison told Ariana News on condition of anonymity that two outposts close to the prison fell to the Taliban.
Atiqullah Abdul Rahimzai, Head of the Provincial Council, citing sources said that two bases of Afghan forces in Alishing district, and a base in Mehtarlam fell to the Taliban in the last 24 hours.
Rahimzai added that at least 12 outposts have been overrun by the Taliban in the province and that “some of the posts were abandoned without resistance.”
The provincial security officials have not yet commented in this regard.
Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed that its fighters captured a base and two outposts in Mehtarlam and also captured a number of Afghan security force members.
This comes after acting defense minister General Yasin Zia, who is also the chief of army staff, visited Laghman on Sunday to review the security situation in the province.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement earlier Sunday that Zia visited Laghman, “to lead counter-terrorism operations.”
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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