Latest News
US forces and NDS target al-Qaeda in Helmand and Nimroz
US forces and Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) launched two raids against al-Qaeda in Helmand and Nimroz provinces over the past several days, killing at least eight operatives and capturing three more, the Long War Journal reported.
According to the report, the US military launched an airstrike on Thursday that targeted a Taliban meeting in Nad Ali district in Helmand province.
At least 40 insurgents were reportedly killed or wounded during the airstrike, including Abdullah Baloch, the Taliban’s purported shadow governor of Farah province.
Eight members of al-Qaeda are also said to have been killed in the Nad Ali airstrike, the Long War Journal reported.
US intelligence officials meanwhile told Long War Journal that Baloch is what is known as a “dual hatted” commander: he leads members of both the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the NDS captured three al-Qaeda leaders during an operation in the southwestern province of Nimroz. The NDS identified the al-Qaeda leaders as Mustafa, the leader of al-Qaeda’s Amar Bil Marof Affairs, or its prevention of virtue and vice committee, Hafiz Abdul Aziz, and Hayatullah, the Long War Journal reported.
All three are Afghan citizens and have been involved with attacks on the Kamal Khan Dam as well as Zaranj City, the capital of Nimroz province.
According to the NDS, Mustafa and Hafiz Mohammad recently lived in Iran, and carried out terrorist attacks under the leadership of Hafiz Ghulamullah, deputy intelligence head of al-Qaeda in Nimroz.
Long War Journal stated that al-Qaeda leaders and operatives are known to shelter in Iran, and often cross the border to operate inside Afghanistan.
Israel recently killed Abu Mohammad al Masri (Adbullah Ahmed Abdullah), al-Qaeda’s second in command who was wanted by the US government, in an ambush in Tehran, Iran.
Long War Journal reported that despite repeated targeting, killing, and capturing of al-Qaeda leaders and operatives, the Taliban maintains that the terror group does not operate in Afghanistan. The Taliban maintains that al-Qaeda left Afghanistan after the US invasion in 2001.
The Taliban maintains this lie because the February agreement with the United States stipulates that al-Qaeda cannot plot attacks against the West. In exchange, the US agreed to withdraw all forces by April 2021, Long War Journal reported.
The US government has not held the Taliban to account for its support of al-Qaeda.
Latest News
Khalilzad warns Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions likely to worsen after fresh airstrikes
Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and recent violence inside Pakistan are part of a wider crisis, saying he sees no indication that the situation is about to change.
In a post on X on Thursday, Khalilzad described the Pakistani airstrikes that have killed Afghan civilians and the increasing use of force against civilians in Pakistan as “interconnected tragedies,” implying both effected by Pakistan’s establishment.
“Unfortunately, I do not see any signs of change,” Khalilzad said, adding that current indicators suggested the use of force against Pakistanis would “likely get worse” in the coming days.
His comments came after Pakistan carried out a new wave of airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight Thursday, saying it had targeted 10 locations used to launch and store drones.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones launched from Afghan territory a day earlier and described them as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate.”
Afghan officials said the strikes killed four civilians. The attacks reportedly hit locations including Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities have denied launching the drones cited by Pakistan and have condemned the strikes.
The latest attacks follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in Kunar and Paktika. Pakistan said those operations killed 28 militants, while the United Nations confirmed that three Afghan civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed, with four others injured.
The renewed airstrikes come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan authorities reject the allegations and say militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Khalilzad has previously called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy toward both its internal security problems and Afghanistan.
Latest News
Afghanistan summons Pakistani chargé d’affaires over latest airstrikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and Pakistani military airstrikes on several Afghan provinces.
The ministry handed the Pakistani diplomat a formal protest note following the attacks on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Wednesday night, which reportedly caused civilian casualties.
The Islamic Emirate strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry also rejected what it called baseless claims that Afghan territory was being used as a source of Pakistan’s recent security incidents.
It said using such claims to justify military action was an attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion and conceal Pakistan’s internal failures.
The Islamic Emirate further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of avoiding commitments made to regional countries and warned that such actions could further escalate tensions in the region.
Latest News
Museum dedicated to preserving ‘Jihadi’ artefacts opens in Kandahar
The museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
A museum dedicated to preserving what Afghan authorities describe as “Jihadi artefacts” has officially opened in Kandahar, with officials saying more than 100 items have so far been collected for display.
Mufti Mohammad Tahir Ahmad, Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Artefacts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside Qari Ahmadullah Saeed Khosti, Director of Registration for Jihadi Artefacts and Documents.
Mufti Inamullah Samangani, head of the Kandahar Information and Culture Department, and officials from several government departments also attended the ceremony.
According to the official responsible for preserving the artefacts in Kandahar, the museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
The collection includes weapons that officials say were captured from British, Soviet and US forces, as well as personal belongings and other items associated with people killed during Afghanistan’s conflicts over the past two decades.
Officials said efforts to collect additional artefacts would continue in order to expand the museum’s collection.
The museum is now open to visitors, according to the officials.
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan to face Japan and Nepal in Asian Games cricket group stage
-
Latest News4 days agoPakistan says Kohat attackers had roots in Afghanistan
-
Latest News5 days agoOIC to hold Afghanistan Contact Group meeting on sidelines of UN General Assembly
-
Regional5 days agoFlames, smoke seen near Riyadh airport; Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital
-
Regional4 days agoIran and US trade threats after Houthi attacks escalate regional conflict
-
Business4 days agoDogharoun handles 60% of Iran’s exports to Afghanistan
-
World3 days agoCNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump, challenging White House ban
-
World5 days agoWorld leaders return to UN amid wars in Middle East and Ukraine

