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US airstrikes target Taliban in Helmand province

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(Last Updated On: May 6, 2021)

The United States has carried out a number of airstrikes against the Taliban in the southern Helmand province in the past few days as fierce fighting takes place between Afghan military forces and the Taliban.

A US official told VOA late Wednesday that American forces were actively carrying out airstrikes against the Taliban.

This comes after US Forces Afghanistan and NATO officially started their withdrawal process from the country on Saturday.

The airstrikes also come in the wake of repeated pledges by the US to carry on supporting Afghanistan.

The US official who spoke to VOA, on condition of anonymity, declined to share additional details, citing the need for operational security.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby meanwhile said during a briefing that as US forces transition out of Afghanistan they will continue to try to support local forces.

He said that “there’s still quite a bit of robust capability” at the disposal of US commanders on the ground.

“To the degree we can, as we transition out, we’re going to continue to try to support Afghan national security forces in the field,” Kirby said.

The US airstrikes come amid intense fighting around the Helmand capital, Lashkargah, that started over the weekend.

On Tuesday, reports indicated over 1,000 families had fled their homes on the outskirts of the city due to heavy fighting.

MSF Afghanistan (Doctors Without Borders) said in a series of tweets on Tuesday that fighting around Lashkargah city increased significantly on Monday.

“Our medical teams treated 53 war-wounded patients on 3 & 4 May,” Sarah Leahy, MSF project coordinator at Boost Provincial Hospital said.

According to her, MSF teams in emergency room and operating theatres have treated people for injuries caused by bullets and shrapnel.

“Patients and staff tell us that access routes to the city are blocked; we’ve seen fewer admissions of children and pregnant women,” she said.

A nurse described helping his family flee from the frontlines: “There was a lot of shooting, bullets coming into our home. People were afraid, running without shoes, without hijabs, without anything.”

One local government official told AFP on Wednesday that US airstrikes were key to stopping the Taliban advance.

“The bombing was intense,” the official, Atiqullah, said. “I have never seen such bombardment in several years.”

Afghan government forces also faced fierce opposition in other areas in the country – including in Ghazni and Baghlan provinces.

But Kirby told journalists during his Wednesday briefing that the “Afghan security forces are more capable than they have been in recent years.”

He said: “They have been in the lead for quite some time.”

Afghan military officials have been equally insistent that they are up to the task.

Ministry of Defense deputy spokesman Fawad Aman told VOA’s Afghan Service on Wednesday: “Currently, ANSDF [Afghan National Security and Defense Forces] 100% independently plan, command and control, and conduct the military operations.”

“There is no support and physical presence of foreign troops in the battlefields,” Aman said.

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Magnitude 5.2 quake jolts Afghanistan

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(Last Updated On: March 28, 2024)

An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter Scale jolted Afghanistan on Thursday afternoon, the National Center for Seismology reported.

The quake was at a depth of 70km and epicentered in the mountainous north-eastern area of Ashkāsham.

The jolt was felt across the region including in Kabul, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan

There were no immediate reports of any casualties.

In October last year, over 2,000 people were killed when four 6.3-magnitude earthquakes struck in Herat province.

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Bayat Foundation helps needy families in Balkh

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(Last Updated On: March 28, 2024)

As part of Bayat Foundation’s Ramadan aid campaign, needy families in Mazar-e-Sharif, in Balkh province, received much needed food packages this week.

The aid package includes rice, flour and oil.

“In continuation of Bayat Foundation’s assistance, this time also a quantity of food such as flour, oil and rice was distributed to needy families in Mazar-e-Sharif; Inshallah, these contributions will continue,” said a representative of the foundation.

Needy families that received aid packages expressed their gratitude but called on other aid organizations to help the needy during these difficult times.

“Many thanks to Bayat Foundation, I thank Bayat Foundation for helping the needy and poor people of this region,” said a recipient said.

“I would like to thank Bayat Foundation for their cooperation in helping the needy in this holy month of Ramadan; it is hoped that traders and charities will do such sustainable work,” said another recipient.

Bayat Foundation is one of the charitable organizations that has played an important role in helping the needy in Afghanistan over the last two decades.

In addition to distributing aid packages to needy and vulnerable families, it has carried out numerous other projects, including the construction of health centers and schools.

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MoI registers over 8,700 criminal cases in the past six months

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(Last Updated On: March 28, 2024)

Abdul Matin Qani, the Ministry of Interior’s spokesman said on Thursday that in the last six months, 8,747 criminal cases have been recorded across the country.

Addressing a press conference in Kabul, Qani said of these cases, 7,233 have been solved while the remaining 1,525 are still being investigated.

He said 12,540 people have been arrested in connection with these crimes.

In addition, 21 kidnappers have been killed, 18 hostages have been freed and 172 people have been arrested in connection with kidnappings in the same period of time.

Qani also said in the last six months 837,000 passports have been distributed. He said three new passport offices will be established in Kabul in the near future.

“10,000 passports are distributed to citizens daily by the Passport Department,” said Qani.

On the issue of narcotics, he said drug cultivation, production and trafficking has been eradicated. He said drug manufacturing equipment and 377 drug factories have been destroyed across the country.

According to him, the ministry has also made advances in collecting illegal weapons, fighting corruption and improving police skills.

Qani stated that during this period, no security incidents took place in most provinces across the country.

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